Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and French President Emmanuel Macron in Riyadh, 2022. (Credit: AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman last met in Paris in June 2023. MBS spent long eight days in Paris, accompanied by a large ministerial delegation, to convince France to support his application to host the 2030 World Expo, which it did. Macron’s second state visit to Saudi Arabia from Dec. 2 to 4 will take place in a completely different context. It does not only come in the period that follows the Oct. 7 attack, which brought bloodshed and shook the Middle East, but also two months before Donald Trump’s return to the White House.Lebanon and Israel have just signed a fragile cease-fire and a major part of the discussions is expected to be devoted to Lebanon and Gaza, where the war is still ongoing. Macron and MBS are keen to establish a new political framework for rebuilding the Middle East. MBS...
French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman last met in Paris in June 2023. MBS spent long eight days in Paris, accompanied by a large ministerial delegation, to convince France to support his application to host the 2030 World Expo, which it did. Macron’s second state visit to Saudi Arabia from Dec. 2 to 4 will take place in a completely different context. It does not only come in the period that follows the Oct. 7 attack, which brought bloodshed and shook the Middle East, but also two months before Donald Trump’s return to the White House.Lebanon and Israel have just signed a fragile cease-fire and a major part of the discussions is expected to be devoted to Lebanon and Gaza, where the war is still ongoing. Macron and MBS are keen to establish a new political framework for rebuilding the Middle East....
