Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is on the second day of a two-day state visit to France, where he is meeting President Emmanuel Macron. The visit began Sunday evening when MBS attended the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup with Macron in Paris – the first time the esports tournament, featuring disciplines from video games to chess, has been held outside Saudi Arabia.
According to the schedule, on Monday the two leaders are expected to sign several agreements on health, transport, and energy. French media reported that a deal to build a Dragon Ball-themed amusement park, backed by Saudi Arabia's investment fund and inspired by the famous Japanese manga, could be signed. Valerie Pecresse, President of the Île-de-France regional council in the Greater Paris area, said regional authorities had worked on the project for 18 months and described it as a project on the scale of Disneyland.
Beyond economic matters, MBS and Macron will hold bilateral discussions on regional security, including alternative energy routes to avoid the Strait of Hormuz – the vital sea lane on which Gulf oil exporters heavily depend, through which 20% of the world's oil and natural gas supply passes in peacetime. Since the US-Israel war on Iran erupted on February 28, shipping through the strait has been severely disrupted, pushing oil prices higher. Before the war, Brent crude traded around $66 per barrel, then surged past $100 and peaked at $119 in the early stages of the conflict. On Monday morning, Brent was trading around $93 per barrel.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss the war in Iran, the Palestinian situation, as well as developments in Syria and Lebanon – where Israel occupies about one-fifth of the territory. Other topics on Monday include global events Saudi Arabia is expected to host in the coming years, such as Expo 2030 on sustainable development and urban innovation, and the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
On trade, the two countries have a fairly balanced relationship. According to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), in 2024 France exported $4.5 billion in goods to Saudi Arabia and imported $4.6 billion. Refined oil accounts for 72% of Saudi exports to France, along with crude oil and other mineral products, as well as small amounts of machinery, chemicals, and cars. Conversely, French exports to Saudi Arabia are more diverse, including civil aircraft, helicopters, gas turbines, pharmaceuticals, and perfumes.
This visit is MBS's third to France, following visits in 2022 and 2023. Previously, in December 2024, Macron visited Riyadh, where the two countries established the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council. The current trip is also MBS's first international tour since the Joint Mecca Defense Agreement – a mutual defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – was signed on August 7 this year. Analysts suggest this pact indicates Saudi Arabia is seeking to diversify its security relationships beyond Washington.
