Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Macron: Return of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz
French President Emmanuel Macron received Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the Élysée Palace yesterday for a bilateral meeting, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Macron stressed the necessity of reaching a negotiated solution regarding Iran, reaffirming their commitment to diplomatic solutions that ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, according to a joint statement.
The Franco-Saudi statement underscored the ambitions of Riyadh and Paris toward strategic partnership and the pursuit of diplomatic solutions to conflicts. It included a call for Iran to resume cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as condemnation of attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and threats to maritime navigation, alongside a reaffirmation of the need to restore normal navigation.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Macron welcomed the agreement on the disarmament of Hamas and called for its implementation. They also emphasized the importance of de-escalation to achieve a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza and called for an end to Israeli settlement policies.
The Saudi Crown Prince and the French President witnessed the signing of a package of agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between Saudi Arabia and France, aimed at expanding areas of cooperation and strengthening strategic partnership. The package included agreements and MoUs in several vital sectors, including defense cooperation, artificial intelligence, tourism investment, and fields of cultural, environmental, and human development. It also included an agreement on development cooperation in the Al-Ula Governorate and exploring opportunities to develop a leisure destination in France.
The agreements also included purchase contracts between Aramco and French companies SLB and Vallourec to supply oil and gas well drilling materials and steel pipes for oil and gas fields, valued at $3.7 billion. Additionally, Aramco Digital signed an MoU with Dassault Systèmes to cooperate in the field of artificial intelligence, including studying potential applications in the oil sector.
In the electricity sector, the Saudi Electricity Company signed a cooperation and financing agreement with the French National Investment Bank (Bpifrance) to support the development and modernization of the Kingdom’s electricity grid. Furthermore, the Saudi Export and Import Bank signed a tripartite MoU with the Saudi Group and Crédit Agricole CIB, targeting the arrangement of financing solutions for the Group’s acquisition of new Airbus aircraft.
The French President emphasized that the Saudi Crown Prince’s visit to Paris “represents an important step toward enhancing peace and stability in the face of regional challenges.” The official visit comes at the directive of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and in response to an invitation from Macron.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had previously received the Saudi Crown Prince at the French Army Museum, where an official military welcome ceremony was held in the museum’s ceremonial courtyard. According to SPA, the Crown Prince was welcomed by a contingent of the French Republican Guard’s cavalry and display motorcycles. The Saudi Royal Anthem was played, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman reviewed the honor guard.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, accompanied by Macron, attended the closing ceremony of the 2026 Esports World Cup.
As part of the visit, the Franco-Saudi Investment Roundtable Meeting was held in Paris, organized by the Ministry of Investment with the participation of senior government officials, business leaders, and CEOs of major companies.
Following their meeting at the Élysée Palace, Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Macron proceeded to the Palais de l’Élysée building to attend the closing of the meeting.
Minister of Investment Fahd bin Abduljalil Al-Sif clarified that Saudi-French relations span a full century, highlighting the alignment between French capabilities in technology, industry, finance, and innovation, and the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030, which has been reflected in strong investment flows. He noted that the stock of French direct investments in the Kingdom reached €16.3 billion in 2024, doubling its level over five years, making France the fourth-largest source of direct investment in the Kingdom.
He pointed out that Saudi-French cooperation in the oil and gas sector extends to traditional energy and petrochemicals, while French companies maintain an active presence in the Kingdom’s transition toward clean energy. He added that the financial sector represents another important path for cooperation.
For his part, French Minister of Economy and Finance Roland Lescure emphasized the importance of the strategic partnership between the two countries, which is based on several key pillars, including “energy and logistical security.” Regarding long-term mutual investment, he pointed to the shared goal of increasing trade volume between the two countries. He confirmed that the opening of the Public Investment Fund’s office in Paris reflects joint efforts to attract Saudi investments to France, noting the convergence between Saudi Vision 2030 and France 2030. He affirmed that French presence in the Kingdom is no longer limited to sales alone but includes joint production.
