Macron’s Gulf Tour Targets Energy Security

French President Emmanuel Macron is undertaking a three-day tour of Gulf states, with fuel supplies and strategic relationships at the center of the visit. His itinerary begins in Kuwait and continues to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar. According to the Elysée Palace, Macron will seek commitments for additional deliveries of diesel and petrol, which could increase the fuel available to France. The trip therefore combines immediate energy-supply concerns with broader diplomatic engagement in the region. The visit is taking place against the backdrop of unrest over the preceding weekend. Macron said he had considered cancelling the trip, but decided on Sunday to proceed. The article does not provide further details about the unrest or explain how it may affect the discussions. Instead, it introduces French diplomat Bertrand Besancenot to offer additional perspective. Besancenot is identified as a former French ambassador to Qatar and Saudi Arabia and as Macron’s former special envoy to the Gulf countries. The supplied article text does not include his comments or the substance of the interview. The piece, part of France 24’s Perspective programme, presents the visit as an effort to secure fuel deliveries while maintaining France’s strategic ties with Gulf partners. It outlines Macron’s schedule, the stated objective of seeking more diesel and petrol, and the uncertainty surrounding the trip’s timing. The focus is informational: it sets up a discussion with an experienced diplomat rather than offering a detailed account of negotiations or their outcomes.

French President Emmanuel Macron began a three-day tour of the Gulf on Monday, October 19, 2026, with the stated aim of securing oil and diesel supplies and helping bring down fuel prices. The trip comes amid a domestic crisis: soaring living costs had sparked violent protests over the weekend, and Macron had addressed the unrest late Sunday, condemning what he called France’s “unbridled” violence. Hours after that address, he arrived in Kuwait, an OPEC member, where he was welcomed by the country’s emir, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The France 24 video report is presented by the network’s International Affairs Editor, Kethevane Gorjestani, who provides further information about the tour. The supplied article text does not give additional details about Macron’s planned meetings, the other stops on the tour, or the specific measures being discussed to secure supplies. It frames the trip as an effort to address fuel costs while protests and unrest underscore the wider cost-of-living crisis in France.

French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to visit Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar from October 19 to 21, 2026, to discuss regional stability, energy security and the effects of the Middle East crisis on energy prices. His office says he is expected in Kuwait on Monday morning and in the UAE later that afternoon. The trip comes as the US-Iran war has led to attacks on energy facilities in all four Gulf countries and disrupted oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz. The growing security concerns extend to the Bab Al Mandeb, where Yemen’s Houthi rebels are seeking control, prompting fears that pressure on global energy supplies could intensify. An Elysee Palace source said Macron would work with regional leaders to support stability and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Discussions are also expected to address securing and diversifying energy supplies and transport routes to limit the crisis’s impact on French people. In the UAE, talks are set to cover defence, security and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. Macron is also expected to attend a climate event in Qatar and discuss economic relations with Gulf countries. The article notes that the visit takes place amid serious unrest in France, where more than 2,000 people have been arrested in connection with the torching and ransacking of property. It also recounts Macron’s previous visits to the UAE, including his meeting with President Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi last December, his attendance at the 2023 Cop28 climate summit in Dubai and his visit to the opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2017. On a more recent Middle East trip, he visited Damascus in July, becoming the first major Western leader to appear in Syria after its civil war. Macron’s second presidential term ends next year, and the French constitution bars him from seeking a third term.