France Boosts Gulf Diesel Imports as Fuel Prices Climb
Al Jazeera Staff
France has secured an extra 200,000 tonnes of diesel a month from the UAE and Bahrain, raising total Gulf commitments to 295,000 tonnes monthly — over 10% of national demand. President Macron announced the deals on a three-day Gulf tour that also took in Qatar and Kuwait, as protests over living costs at home and the US–Iran conflict keep energy prices high.
President Emmanuel Macron has secured commitments for an additional 200,000 tonnes of diesel per month from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, the Elysée Palace said, bringing France's total supply pledges to 295,000 tonnes a month as fuel prices remain elevated.
The announcement came on Tuesday, shortly before the French leader arrived in Qatar. His three-day Gulf tour, which also includes a stop in Kuwait, follows a weekend of violent protests in France over the rising cost of living, set against high energy prices driven by the US–Iran conflict.
According to the Elysée, the UAE pledged about 100,000 tonnes a month, while the remaining 100,000 tonnes a month was secured during Macron's visit to Bahrain.
Combined with existing volumes from Saudi Arabia, France now holds commitments for a total of 295,000 tonnes of diesel per month, equivalent to more than 10% of its consumption needs.
Kuwait also gave a “very clear commitment” to supply diesel and kerosene to France's Indian Ocean territories of Mayotte and Reunion, the Elysée said. Shipments will be routed through Oman to avoid the Strait of Hormuz.
Patrick Pouyanné, head of French oil major TotalEnergies, who travelled with the president, said the deals would “reassure the French people”. “We will not run out of diesel in February,” he told the AFP news agency.
Prices and supply
Andreas Krieg, a lecturer at King's College London's School of Security Studies, told Al Jazeera that France's energy deals are part of a broader trend. Gulf states have sent numerous delegations to London, Paris, Berlin and Rome in recent months, he said, seeking access to military complexes and possibly stakes in European defence companies.
“They see a growing alignment between their interests and Europe's interests,” he said, not only in energy but also in supply chains.
According to Krieg, both sides are under pressure from a United States that is increasingly pushing them aside, creating an opportunity to reduce their dependence on Washington.
Sheikha Alanoud Hamad Saud Al Thani, a political analyst and member of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, said Macron's agenda in Qatar covers security, defence, safeguarding French energy commitments and advancing frontier fields such as artificial intelligence.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, she said Qatar “genuinely values” its relationship with France, one of the Gulf state's oldest defence partnerships. “It is no surprise that France is one of Qatar's most important friends in Europe,” she said, describing Macron's visit as “particularly significant”.
Qatar, she said, is “drawing on existing relationships to adapt to a new kind of asymmetric warfare”, with the two sides seeking progress on defensive capabilities and counter-drone systems.
Fallout from the US–Israel conflict with Iran
Iran has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf's main energy export route, sending crude prices soaring throughout eight months of conflict. Diesel has been among the commodities hardest hit.
The G7, chaired by France this year, agreed in early October to release up to 100 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves. France has also released 10 million barrels of diesel from its own reserves, aiming to cut prices by 12 to 18 cents a litre — roughly 5% to 8% — from next month, according to the Elysée.
