French President Emmanuel Macron strengthened ties with Gulf partners during a regional tour from 19 to 21 October 2026, visiting Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar, with an additional stop in Saudi Arabia.
The French President held talks with Gulf leaders on defence, security, trade, investment, technology and energy cooperation, while seeking closer coordination on regional stability and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Key developments:
- Kuwait: France and Kuwait signed eight cooperation agreements covering defence, civil aviation, artificial intelligence, investment, healthcare, academic and scientific cooperation.
- United Arab Emirates: Paris and Abu Dhabi strengthened defence ties through a Strategic Defence Partnership Framework, including further defence industry cooperation and agreements linked to advanced military capabilities.
- Bahrain: France and Bahrain signed a Memorandum of Understanding on civilian nuclear cooperation, focused on developing expertise and capabilities for peaceful nuclear energy applications.
- Qatar: France and Qatar reaffirmed their strategic partnership through expanded cooperation in defence, energy, investment, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and regional diplomacy.
The Gulf tour highlighted France’s efforts to deepen economic and security ties with regional partners while responding to wider geopolitical pressures. Macron’s discussions reflected Paris’ focus on energy resilience, investment opportunities, defence cooperation and diplomatic coordination amid continued instability in the Middle East.
ℹ️ Élysée (Office of the President of the French Republic), Kuwait Times, Anadolu Agnecy, Emirates News Agency
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