Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday for face-to-face talks with Prince Crown Mohammed bin Salman, becoming the first western leader to step on the royal land since the murder of 2018 journalist Khashoggi.
Macron considers Saudi Arabia vital to help falsify the peace agreement in all regions with Iran, and allies in the war against Islamic terrorists from the Middle East to West Africa, and a fortress against the Muslim Brotherhood.
France is one of the suppliers of the main weapons of Saudi Arabia, but has faced an increase in pressure to review its sales because the Saudi LED coalition that fought the Iranian Houthi rebel in Yemen, is now one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
While the relationship between Paris and Riyadh is warmer under the predecessor of Macron Francois Hollande, France has not reaped business benefits.
This relationship has been cooled in recent years even though Malron, before Khashoggi’s murder, urged the defects to give time to the leader who was 33 years old.
Business delegates around 100 companies including Totalnergi, EDF, Thales and Vivendi will attend investment forums during Macron’s trip.
Speaking to reporters in Dubai, Macron rejected the allegations that he legitimized Prince Crown, added that some of the crises of some of the regions could not be handled by ignoring the kingdom.
“We (can) decide after the Khashoggi affair that we do not have a policy in this region, which is the choice that can be maintained, but I think France has an important role to play in the region.
That does not mean we are involved or we.
That we forget, “Macron said.
The recent contract has been a little, with the most centered on the Al-Ula tourism project which aims to revive the history of the nabatean kingdom, part of Saudi Arabian diversification encouragement to weaning its economy from oil income.
Macron’s visit came when the Arab Gulf stated that he had voiced uncertainty about the US focus on the region even when they searched for more weapons from Washington.
Saudi Arabia has been frustrated by the government’s government approach Joe Biden, who has pressed Riyadh on his human rights record and Yemeni war and released intelligence that connects the murder of Bin Salman to Khashoggi.
The Crown Prince has denied involvement in the murder of journalists at the Istanbul Riyadh consulate, an incident that triggered global anger and polluted the picture of Prince Mohammed.
“Is that a goal or not, (this trip) contributed to the policy of rehabilitating Prince Saudi,” said Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of the Amnesty International Rights Group.
“It hurts me that France, a human rights state, is this policy instrument.” Macron was the first major head of Western countries to visit Saudi Arabia since the khashoggi murder and the emergence of Covid-19 pandemic last year, which destroyed Riyadh’s hopes of hosting the leaders of the G20 for 2020 Presidences.
The two men are expected to discuss regional issues, including Iran and Lebanese nuclear material, where Macron has so far failed to convince the Bay Arab countries, alert to Iran’s supported Hezbollah, to try to find a solution.