Final Statement on the Saudi Crown Prince's Visit to France: Broader Partnership and Regional Coordination - Sarmad

A joint statement was issued at the conclusion of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to France. The text of the statement is as follows:

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited the French Republic, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and held official talks. During the meeting, the two leaders affirmed their shared aspiration to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries, highlighting the historical depth of bilateral relations and the centenary of diplomatic ties between them.

Both sides reaffirmed their common desire for the strategic partnership between the two countries, announced during President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from December 2–4, 2024, to enhance friendship, consolidate mutual trust and respect, and serve their shared interests while addressing the challenges facing the Middle East and the world.

The two leaders chaired the first meeting of the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council, launching new initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation across all fields, the details of which were recorded in the council’s minutes.

The leaders expressed their shared vision for establishing stability in the Middle East, based on safeguarding state sovereignty, respecting international law, and prioritizing political and diplomatic solutions to conflicts and security threats. They exchanged views on issues of common interest as follows:

Regional Security:

Both sides stressed the importance of reaching a negotiated settlement to avoid further escalation and ensure regional security. They reaffirmed their firm commitment to a diplomatic solution that guarantees the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, calling on Iran to resume full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Strait of Hormuz:

Both sides condemned attacks targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz and threats to the security of waterways, emphasizing the critical importance of restoring normal navigation in the strait to its pre-February 28, 2026 status, in terms of freedom of navigation, regularity of maritime shipping, and the absence of any direct or indirect fees or transit restrictions, in accordance with international law.

The Palestinian Issue:

Both sides welcomed the announcement of an agreement to disarm Hamas and called for its implementation. They stressed the importance of creating conducive conditions for a sustainable ceasefire, ensuring the prompt, safe, and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip. They emphasized the critical importance of preserving the territorial integrity of Palestinian lands and firmly rejected any attempts to undermine the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent state within the 1967 borders. Both sides called for an end to Israeli settlement policies and the violence by settlers that threatens the two-state solution. They reaffirmed their full commitment to the complete implementation of the New York Declaration and expressed support for the Palestinian Authority’s reform agenda, welcoming the announcement of legislative and presidential elections in Palestine.

Lebanese Affairs:

The two sides agreed to intensify their efforts to reach a final settlement of the conflict in Lebanon, strengthen Lebanese state institutions, and preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. They commended the steps taken by His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Joseph Aoun, and the Lebanese Government, led by Prime Minister Mr. Nawaf Salam, to rebuild state institutions and extend their authority. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces and security agencies, aiming to enable them to fully discharge their national responsibilities. They emphasized the importance of the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, and the necessity of completely disarming all non-state armed groups. They stressed the need for Israel’s withdrawal from all Lebanese territories.

Yemeni Issue:

The two sides reiterated their support for the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council and the United Nations’ efforts aimed at reaching a comprehensive solution to the crisis. They condemned the Houthi attacks on civilian infrastructure and vital facilities in the Kingdom, as well as their attacks on commercial ships. They affirmed their resolve to safeguard freedom of maritime navigation. They also stressed that the Houthi provocative actions exacerbate the humanitarian suffering of the Yemeni people. The French side reaffirmed its solidarity and full support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and emphasized its rejection of any aggression against the Kingdom’s territory.

Sudanese Issue:

The two sides stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to end the crisis and halt external interference in Sudan, ensuring its security and stability, preserving its sovereignty and independence, and safeguarding its territorial integrity and institutions.

Syrian Issue:

The two sides emphasized their commitment to Syria’s unity, stability, and economic recovery, highlighting the importance of establishing a robust institutional framework to boost economic investments and create opportunities for Syria to reposition itself as a bridge connecting Europe, the Gulf, and Asia through the development of alternative routes. They welcomed, in particular, the establishment of the Saudi-Syrian-French Joint Business Council.

Building on their historic defense cooperation, the two sides adopted a declaration to enhance their defense cooperation, including in the areas of armaments and training, and expressed their commitment to strengthening joint coordination to advance shared interests, thereby contributing to the enhancement of international security and stability.

The two sides commended the strength of economic and trade relations between the two countries, noting the growth in bilateral trade, which reached approximately $11.8 billion in 2025.

In the energy sector, the two sides stressed the importance of stability in global energy markets, supply security, and the protection of maritime routes, commending the Kingdom’s role and efforts in enhancing supply chain resilience and the sustainability of energy sources. They emphasized the need to strengthen strategic cooperation in the fields of oil and petrochemicals, sustainable electricity generation—including energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy storage, peaceful nuclear energy, clean hydrogen, and emission reduction and removal technologies—as well as capacity-building in these areas. They agreed on the importance of cooperation on climate issues and related technological solutions. The two sides commended existing trade relations in these sectors and joint projects between the two countries, stressing the need to enhance them.

The two sides agreed to strengthen their economic relations and mutual investments, with France becoming a major investor in the Kingdom, particularly in the energy, water management, transport, and logistics sectors. They emphasized the importance of enhancing cooperation between financial institutions, insurance companies, and financing entities in both countries.

In this regard, both sides welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding by Qiddiya Investment Company to explore opportunities for developing a major global multi-use destination and theme parks in the Cergy-Pontoise area, within the Ile-de-France region. This new integrated destination will combine entertainment, leisure experiences, hospitality, culture, and sports. The project’s initial concepts include up to three major entertainment facilities, alongside integrated hotels and leisure experiences, with an investment of up to 6 billion euros over the project’s duration.

Both sides agreed to establish a dedicated and effective financial framework to support projects implemented by French companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

They also agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of artificial intelligence, quantum computing, emerging technologies, and capacity building.

Reflecting the strength of this partnership, both sides emphasized the importance of their exceptional cooperation in AlUla, within the framework of Saudi Vision 2030, particularly in the areas of archaeology, heritage, and culture. In this context, both sides decided to extend the Saudi-French partnership regarding AlUla until 2035, within an advanced framework that reflects the robustness of cooperation between the two countries and leverages the opportunities offered by AlUla as a prominent cultural and heritage destination in the 21st century.

Both sides welcomed the success of the third edition of the World Esports Championship, held in Paris this summer of 2026, and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation and partnership in the fields of culture, youth, and sports, as well as developing joint programs and activities in these areas between the two countries.

In the context of Expo 2030 Riyadh, organized by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the French President welcomed France’s participation in this historic event for the Kingdom, and agreed that it would serve as a prominent milestone in Saudi-French relations through the engagement of stakeholders from both countries.

During the visit, several agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed in the fields of defense, health, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and entertainment.

Both sides welcomed the outcomes of the Saudi-French Investment Roundtable, which concluded with the attendance of the Saudi Crown Prince and the French President, along with top chief executives and private sector representatives from both countries. The meeting discussed joint projects and future prospects for bilateral cooperation, and explored opportunities for cooperation and investment in several key sectors, including energy, industry, financial services, transport and logistics, health, culture, tourism, and artificial intelligence. Both sides welcomed the announcement of 21 agreements and memoranda of understanding across various sectors, reflecting the growing economic partnership between the two countries and opening new horizons for joint cooperation and investment.