French President Receives Saudi Crown Prince at the Élysée: Your Visit Is an Important Step Toward Strengthening Peace and Stability

French President Emmanuel Macron received His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, at the Élysée Palace. President Macron and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman held bilateral talks at the Élysée, before presiding over a meeting of the Joint French-Saudi Partnership Council.

A military welcome ceremony was held for His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Cour d’Honneur of the French Army Museum in the capital, Paris, where he was greeted by French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. A contingent of horsemen from the French Republican Guard and display motorcycles accompanied the Saudi Crown Prince as part of the welcoming protocol, followed by the playing of the Saudi Royal Anthem and the French National Anthem. His Royal Highness reviewed the honor guard lined up to salute him, and the guard commander introduced the military units participating in the reception ceremony. Subsequently, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman shook hands with French ministers and senior government officials, while French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu greeted the Saudi princes and ministers.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that the visit of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, to France represents an important step toward enhancing peace and stability. Speaking via his official account on the “X” platform prior to welcoming His Royal Highness at the Élysée Palace, the French President stated, “The visit of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, to France represents an important step. Faced with regional challenges, France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have always called for peace and stability, and they will continue their dialogue in this direction.” Macron added, “Our partnership is also shaped through action: major projects, advanced technologies, investments, and international events such as the Esports World Cup in Paris. We have already achieved a great deal together, and we can go further.”

During the Crown Prince’s visit to Paris, Saudi Arabia and France signed a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding covering defense, tourism, investment, energy, industry, transport, logistics, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure. In this context, the French Presidency announced that Saudi Arabia would invest $7 billion in theme parks near Paris.

A French presidential source described the level of communication between the Saudi Crown Prince and the French President as “very close” in a statement to Al Arabiya, noting that it is not limited to a single sector but encompasses several, including energy and culture. The source added, “The state visit being conducted by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Paris, at the invitation of President Macron, reflects Paris’s appreciation for Riyadh’s leadership and its political and economic standing, its regional and international weight, and its pivotal and influential role in enhancing the security and stability of the region and the world.”

For his part, Saudi Minister of Investment Fahd Al-Saleem stated that French direct investments in the Kingdom have reached €16.3 billion (equivalent to $19.02 billion), doubling the amount recorded two years ago, making France the fourth-largest source of foreign investment in Saudi Arabia. During a Saudi-French roundtable meeting, Minister Al-Saleem noted that French investors hold 650 investment licenses in the Kingdom, adding that the implementation and achievement phase of Saudi Vision 2030 has created significant opportunities for French companies to expand in the Kingdom. He emphasized that the robustness and diversification of the Saudi economy across key sectors provide major investors with greater stability expectations, pointing out that infrastructure, manufacturing, transport, logistics, gaming, and tourism offer broad opportunities for investment and partnerships, reflecting the diversity of opportunities available in the Kingdom.

President Macron had previously met His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Grand Palais the evening before, where they witnessed the closing ceremony of the 2026 Esports World Cup. His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman also witnessed the crowning of the French club “All Gamers Alliance” (AG.L) as the champion of the 2026 Esports World Cup.

The honor bestowed upon His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman by attending this tournament is a continuation of his strong and ongoing support for the gaming and esports sector, and it reflects the depth of Saudi-French relations and the shared commitment of both countries to leverage sports, culture, and creative sectors to enhance cooperation and partnership.

The tournament’s growth momentum continued this year, held over seven weeks from July 6 to August 23, 2026. It offered a unique experience blending competition and innovation in the French capital, featuring wide global participation with more than 200 teams and over 2,000 professional players from 100 countries competing in 25 championships featuring the world’s most popular esports titles.

In this context, Ralph Riechert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, praised the strong and continuous support the tournament receives from His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. He confirmed that hosting the event in Paris represents a new international chapter in its journey, embodying the success of the model that originated in the Kingdom to build a global sports and cultural platform capable of moving between major capitals, while continuing Riyadh as the tournament’s home and a cornerstone of its long-term vision.

The Esports World Cup was launched with an idea announced by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2023. Riyadh hosted the first and second editions in 2024 and 2025, before continuing its growth trajectory and moving to Paris in 2026 as the first international city to host the event outside the Kingdom.