Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a two-day visit that began with an engagement at the Esports World Cup and will continue with discussions on bilateral deals and Middle Eastern geopolitical issues.
According to France24.com, the visit's second day is expected to see several agreements signed in sectors such as health, transport, and energy. Discussions are also likely to focus on Iran. The visit commenced with a more relaxed event on Sunday evening, where Macron hosted the crown prince at the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup in Paris. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also attended, and Macron interacted with leading esports figures and presented trophies.
The esports event, supported by Riyadh, marks the first time it is held outside Saudi Arabia. Paris aims to highlight the significance of the crown prince's visit, as such trips are rare for him outside international summits. This visit marks his first to France in nearly a year, underscoring the depth of Franco-Saudi relations.
In contrast, three journalists' unions expressed their disapproval of the visit. The SNJ-CGT, CFDT-Journalistes, and SGJ-FO unions criticized the French government's decision to host the Saudi leader, citing an ongoing French investigation into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi, a US resident and critic of the Saudi ruling family, was murdered in 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. US intelligence and a UN investigation have implicated Mohammed bin Salman in the incident, describing it as an "extrajudicial killing."
The unions consider the visit a provocation for advocates of media freedom, following a similar visit in July 2022. Meanwhile, the French presidential office did not comment on potential discussions about a proposed theme park, Dragons Ball, funded by a Saudi investment and planned for the Val-d'Oise region near Paris.
Saudi Arabia is also preparing to host significant international events, including Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup. The kingdom remains a close US ally with ongoing tensions with Iran and is monitoring developments in the region following the US-Israeli conflict.
Macron and the crown prince are set to chair the inaugural meeting of the Saudi-French strategic partnership council on Monday afternoon. They will address key regional issues, emphasizing the need for collaboration between France and its Gulf partners to promote stability and peace in the Middle East. Macron was one of the first Western leaders to engage with the crown prince in December 2021, following the Khashoggi incident, and the crown prince has visited France multiple times since then.