Emmanuel Macron will visit Saudi Arabia from December 2 to 4

French President Emmanuel Macron will make a state visit to Saudi Arabia from December 2 to 4 at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the Élysée announced on Friday. “This state visit will be an opportunity to strengthen the partnership that unites France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”underlined the French presidency.

The two heads of state intend in particular “deepen cooperation in strategic areas”, such as defense, security, energy transition and connectivity, said the Élysée. “The discussions will also focus on areas of future investment, such as fintech, cyber and artificial intelligence, while France will organize the Summit for Action on AI next February “.

On the occasion of this visit, Emmanuel Macron will also participate in the One Water Summitwhich will be held in Riyadh on December 3, on the sidelines of COP16 on the fight against desertification. This summit, co-chaired by France and Kazakhstan, should allow countries to think about “sustainable and innovative solutions for water resources management, in a context marked by increasing climate challenges”also indicated the Élysée.