Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, (MBS), is on the second day of his two-day state visit to France, where he’s meeting President Emmanuel Macron. In this explainer, we outline what they are expected to discuss and examine how their latest meetings build on an already evolving relationship. MBS’s visit to Paris began on Sunday evening alongside President Macron at the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup.
It was the first time the Esports tournament, which includes competitions ranging from video games to chess, had been held outside Saudi Arabia. On Monday, Macron and Bin Salman are expected to sign several agreements on health, transport and energy. French media reported that a deal to build a Dragon Ball-themed amusement park, backed by a Saudi investment fund and inspired by the iconic Japanese manga series, could be signed.
Valerie Pecresse, President of the Regional Council of Île-de-France in Greater Paris, told French broadcaster TF1 that the regional government had been working on the project for 18 months. We are waiting for the signature,” she said, describing the project as “on the scale of Disneyland”. Bin Salman and Macron are also holding bilateral discussions on regional security and their economic ties.
That is expected to include discussions about energy routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz, such as new pipelines, capacity upgrades and alternative port networks. France is a major buyer of Saudi oil and mineral products. Since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, shipping has been severely disrupted in the Strait of Hormuz – the vital waterway on which oil exporters in the Gulf are heavily reliant and where 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies are shipped from during peacetime.
The disruption sent oil prices soaring. Before the war, a barrel of Brent crude – the global benchmark – cost about $66. Over the course of the conflict, prices have climbed above $100 – hitting a high of $119 early on in the war.
On Monday, Brent was trading around $93 a barrel. Bin Salman and Macron are also expected to discuss the war in Iran, the bloodshed in Palestine, as well as developments in Syria and Lebanon, where Israel occupies around one-fifth of its territory. Other expected topics on Monday’s agenda include global events that Saudi Arabia is set to host in the coming years, including Expo 2030, focusing on sustainability and urban innovation, and the 2034 football World Cup.
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