Macron: Saudi Crown Prince's visit to France important for strengthening peace and stability
- Chaired by Mohammed bin Salman, the Strategic Partnership Council met... and witnessed the signing of agreements on defense, artificial intelligence, and energy
Paris, Riyadh, Capitals - Agencies: French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed that the visit of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to France represents a significant step toward enhancing peace and stability. The French President wrote on his account on the "X" platform that the Saudi Crown Prince’s visit to France is a crucial step, adding that "facing the region's challenges, France and Saudi Arabia have always called for peace and stability, and they will continue their dialogue in this direction." He continued, "Our partnership is also shaped through action, major projects, advanced technologies, investments, and international events such as the World Economic Forum in Paris. We have already achieved a great deal together. We can go further."
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French President Emmanuel Macron received Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the Élysée Palace today. The two leaders held a bilateral meeting, followed by a session of the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu also received Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the French Army Museum. During the visit, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Emmanuel Macron witnessed the signing of a package of agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between Saudi Arabia and France, aimed at expanding cooperation areas and strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries. The package included agreements and MoUs in several vital sectors, including defense cooperation, artificial intelligence, and tourism investment, as well as a comprehensive agreement for cooperation in cultural, environmental, tourism, human, economic, and heritage development fields. It also included an agreement on cooperation between the Kingdom and France regarding development in Al-Ula Governorate, alongside an MoU to explore opportunities for developing a leisure destination in France led by Al Qiddiya Company.
These agreements reflect the growing Saudi-French relations and the shared commitment to developing bilateral cooperation and opening new areas for partnership across multiple strategic, economic, and developmental sectors. Both countries welcomed Al Qiddiya Investment Company’s ambition to develop a major multi-use destination and parks in Sarcelles-Pontoise, in the Île-de-France region, combining entertainment, hospitality, culture, and sports within a new integrated destination. Current ambitions include three main leisure facilities, along with complementary hotels and entertainment experiences, with total investments reaching approximately six billion euros over the project’s development cycle.
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Saudi Minister of Investment Fahd Al-Saleh stated during the Saudi-French roundtable meeting that French direct investments in the Kingdom have reached approximately 16.3 billion euros, double the amount recorded two years ago, making France the fourth-largest source of foreign investment in Saudi Arabia. He noted that French investors hold 650 investment licenses in the Kingdom, adding that the entry of Saudi Vision 2030 into its implementation and achievement phase has created significant opportunities for French companies to expand in the Kingdom. Al-Saleh emphasized that the robustness and diversification of the Saudi economy across key sectors provide large investors with more stable expectations. He pointed out that infrastructure, manufacturing, transport, logistics, gaming, and tourism offer broad opportunities for investments and partnerships, reflecting the diversity of opportunities available in the Kingdom.
The Kingdom has strengthened its cultural ties with France through the establishment of the Saudi-French Ministerial Committee in 2018, aimed at overseeing the comprehensive development and transformation journey of AlUla, turning it into a global tourist and cultural destination. The committee has worked to protect and develop heritage, preserve archaeological and historical sites in AlUla, facilitate artistic exchange between the two countries, attract French and international investments to the province, and promote human development and capacity building. Cultural cooperation areas included the development of the innovative Sharaan resort, carved into rock and designed by renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, the implementation of the AlUla Tram project in collaboration with French company Alstom, and the opening of "Villa AlHajar" as the first Saudi-French joint cultural center in AlUla. This center serves as a platform for creativity, visual arts, artistic exchange, and French language instruction for the province’s youth, preparing them for the hospitality and tourism sectors and building national capacity in archaeology. Joint performances by the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir and the French National Opera Orchestra have also been presented.
Tourism cooperation is one of the priorities of the strategic partnership between the Kingdom and France. In June 2026, this sector moved to an executive level with the signing of a joint action plan aimed at developing human resources and tourism training, attracting investment, promoting sustainable tourism and destination competitiveness, and facilitating the exchange of expertise, digital technologies, data, and artificial intelligence related to tourism.
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Amid current developments, Riyadh and Paris continue to enhance their coordinated approach to regional affairs, as both countries share views on fostering stability and ending sources of tension in the Middle East. They launched the International Coalition for a Two-State Solution and established a practical framework for a settlement, reinforcing the start of a political process beginning with a ceasefire in Gaza and the reconstruction of the Strip. They have also intensified efforts to strengthen Lebanese state sovereignty and lay a solid foundation for achieving security in Syria. Both countries seek to contribute to regional and international peace, security, and stability, exerting diplomatic efforts to ensure the security and freedom of maritime navigation. French sources have confirmed that Paris values its partnership with the Kingdom, regarding it as a close ally playing a key role in maintaining regional security and peace. This shared commitment by Riyadh and Paris to intensify stability has prompted the French President to seek consultations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
