French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. He made the surprise decision to visit Riyadh during the final leg of his tour of Gulf nations, against the backdrop of weeks of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. This was announced by the French presidential office. Macron is the first Western head of state to visit Saudi Arabia since the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen intensified their attacks on the kingdom this month. His arrival in Riyadh from Qatar marks the conclusion of his regional Gulf tour, which also included visits to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain. The objective of these visits was to deepen strategic partnerships.
This report comes from the online outlet Arab News. Macron stated that he has received commitments for additional energy supplies from his Gulf partners. The French presidential office indicated that Macron is set to hold meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. The office further noted that the visit aims to express France’s solidarity with the kingdom in the face of Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, as well as to continue efforts toward ensuring energy supply security and diversifying energy sources.
