Saudi’s MBS Heads to France to Meet Macron

By Staff, Agencies

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [MBS] on Wednesday left for France for a state visit, which will include a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, according to the Royal Court statement.

Saudi Arabia’s de-facto ruler will also take part in the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact in Paris next week. The 37-year-old prince will attend an official Saudi reception for Riyadh’s candidacy to host Expo 2030.

The oil-rich Gulf state has close ties with France. In December 2021, Macron became one of the first Western leaders to meet MBS in Saudi Arabia after Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered inside Riyadh's Istanbul consulate in 2018.

Earlier in February, “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Macron in Paris and discussed, among other topics, the possible normalization with Saudi Arabia. Last week, US Secretary of State during his three-day visit to the Gulf state also reportedly brought up this topic during his meeting with the crown prince.