Macron’s Gulf Tour Secures Energy and Defence Ties

French President Emmanuel Macron began a two-day state visit to Qatar, where Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani welcomed him with full state honours. The leaders met at Lusail Palace to discuss strengthening strategic ties, with talks covering energy security, defence, regional stability, investment and broader cooperation. Macron’s arrival in Doha included a fighter-jet escort, a formal welcome at the airport and a state procession through the capital. The Qatar visit concludes Macron’s wider Gulf tour, which has also included the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain. During the tour, France secured pledges for additional diesel supplies as Macron seeks to address energy concerns amid protests in France over fuel prices and the cost of living. The French presidency said the UAE and Bahrain each pledged an extra 100,000 tonnes of diesel per month. With supplies from Saudi Arabia included, the commitments amount to 295,000 tonnes monthly—just over 10% of French consumption. Macron said in a televised address that his Gulf trip was intended to secure energy supplies and respond to public grievances, while his government worked with fuel distributors to ensure the commitments led to lower prices for consumers. He travelled with French business leaders, including executives from TotalEnergies and Engie. TotalEnergies already has a major partnership with QatarEnergy in the North Field East liquefied natural gas expansion project. Qatar said the leaders’ meeting would be followed by a strategic dialogue on Wednesday addressing regional issues and cooperation in energy, the economy, investment and defence. A Qatari foreign ministry official described France as a friend and ally, highlighting its support during the Iran war, including assistance to Qatar’s air defence. The visit also builds on Qatar’s investment relationship with France: during the Emir’s 2024 visit, Qatar pledged €10 billion for projects in areas including energy transition, artificial intelligence, aerospace and healthcare.

France 24 reports that French President Emmanuel Macron secured an agreement for an additional 200,000 tonnes of diesel per month from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The French presidency announced the arrangement on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. The report places the deal in the context of Macron’s tour of key energy suppliers in the Gulf, which is intended to secure supplies of oil and diesel for France and help reduce domestic prices. The effort comes after a weekend of violent protests over soaring living costs, highlighting the political pressure on the French government to respond to rising expenses. France 24 correspondent Tarek Kaï reports from Doha, Qatar. The supplied article text does not provide further details about the agreement, such as its duration, delivery schedule, or the specific terms negotiated with the UAE and Bahrain.

The UAE and France have signed a series of agreements to deepen defence and economic co-operation during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Abu Dhabi. The central defence agreement covers co-operation on the Dassault Rafale F5 programme, including technical, financial and industrial arrangements for future combat aviation. A separate strategic partnership aims to strengthen defence autonomy and reduce reliance on third countries, while an agreement signed by France’s Defence Ministry and the UAE is intended to improve military interoperability, industrial resilience and co-operation in areas such as artificial intelligence and space. The agreements come amid regional instability following the Iran war and as the UAE expands domestic defence manufacturing through Edge Group. The article notes Edge’s role in countering Iranian drone attacks and its partnerships with French companies. Macron visited an Edge industrial site during his trip. The UAE is also preparing to host the Idex defence exhibition in January. Co-operation extends beyond defence. Three agreements involving French AI start-up AMI Labs, MBZUAI, G42 and computing company Analog will promote AI research, cloud infrastructure and potential robotics and physical-AI applications. In energy, Adnoc Gas and Schneider Electric agreed to assess technologies for improving operational efficiency, while Adnoc Refining and Technip Energies signed contracts related to refining capacity and sustainable aviation fuel. At the UAE-France Business Dialogue, Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed stressed the value of bilateral co-operation for reliable energy supplies and resilient supply chains. The article also describes existing commercial links: more than 600 French businesses operate in the UAE, and France exports $4 billion in goods to the country annually. UAE investment in France includes Mubadala’s planned €1 billion commitment to a Bpifrance-managed fund and an earlier investment by Gulf Islamic Investments in Altais Towers. Macron’s subsequent visit to Bahrain included discussions on defence and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.