French President Emmanuel Macron will host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Paris on Friday, on his second visit to the country in about a year.
(Bloomberg) — French President Emmanuel Macron will host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Paris on Friday, on his second visit to the country in about a year.
The two leaders, who will meet at the Elysee palace, will discuss bilateral relations as well as Middle Eastern and international topics, according to the French presidency.
This will be Prince Mohammed’s second visit to France since last July when he dined with Macron at the Elysee palace on his first European tour after the 2018 killing of columnist Jamal Khashoggi damaged the kingdom’s ties with the West.Â
Prince Mohammed was vilified in the US and Europe following the killing, committed by Saudi agents at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul. He has denied any involvement in the operation, while accepting symbolic responsibility for it as the country’s de facto ruler.Â
Macron has strengthened France’s ties with Gulf Arab countries, especially in defense, as Houthi fighters in Yemen attacked the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, targeting their energy infrastructure. Saudi Arabia and France also have ties in the cultural sector; France is involved in the development of the kingdom’s historic Al Ula region, which Prince Mohammed wants to turn into a global tourism destination.
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