**French President Macron to Host Saudi Crown Prince MBS in Paris for Talks**
French President Emmanuel Macron is preparing to welcome Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to Paris for a two-day state visit, commencing on Sunday evening. This visit is notable as it will kick off with the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup, an event that marks the first time the competition, which encompasses various video games and chess, has been held outside of Saudi Arabia.
The state visit will transition into a series of bilateral meetings and a business forum on Monday. According to Macron’s office, the discussions will focus on key regional issues, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between France and its Gulf partners.
Among the topics expected to be on the agenda are energy routes that could potentially bypass the Strait of Hormuz, including the development of new pipelines, capacity upgrades, and alternative port networks. The leaders are also anticipated to address ongoing conflicts, particularly the situation in Iran, the Gaza-Israel conflict, and broader developments in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.
Several agreements related to health, transport, and energy are expected to be signed during the visit. However, a senior adviser to Macron has indicated that finding a resolution to the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran, which has now entered its sixth month, remains a challenging endeavor. The adviser remarked, “It’s difficult to see a way out,” highlighting the complexities of the current geopolitical landscape.
This visit marks MBS’s third trip to Paris, following previous visits in 2022 and 2023. It builds upon the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council, which was established during Macron's state visit to Riyadh in December 2024. The Paris trip is particularly significant as it is the crown prince’s first international engagement since Saudi Arabia signed a trilateral defense agreement with Turkiye and Pakistan on August 7, known as the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. This pact commits the three nations to consider an armed attack on any one of them as an attack on all, reflecting Riyadh's efforts to diversify its security partnerships beyond traditional alliances, particularly with the United States.
The Mecca pact builds on a bilateral mutual defense agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, signed in 2025, and comes at a time when Gulf states are reassessing their reliance on US security guarantees amidst the ongoing turmoil resulting from the Iran conflict.
France has historically been a significant supplier of weapons and defense systems to Gulf states, and the visit underscores Saudi Arabia's growing interest in investing in the French economy. The two leaders last met in April in Islamabad during discussions aimed at de-escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington, where they agreed to maintain close communication on these efforts.
In addition to regional security and economic discussions, the upcoming visit will likely touch upon Saudi Arabia's plans to host Expo 2030 and the 2034 football World Cup, both of which are anticipated to be significant events for the kingdom.
As the state visit approaches, both leaders are expected to engage in discussions that not only address immediate regional concerns but also lay the groundwork for future cooperation between France and Saudi Arabia in various sectors.