Pragmatism Over Principles: Macron Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Saudi Crown Prince

Emmanuel Macron is once again demonstrating his flair for the theatrical, this time by welcoming Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to Paris. The two-day visit kicks off not in a gilded palace, but at the closing ceremony of the e-sports World Cup. It is a fittingly modern backdrop for a deeply traditional exchange of capital and influence. For a French president grappling with a chronically weak economy, alarming state finances, and a domestic political scene heavily paralyzed by socialist dogmas, the arrival of Saudi investment is a necessary lifeline.

On Monday, the diplomatic choreography moves from video games to the boardroom with the inaugural meeting of the Franco-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council. The French presidency has promised the signing of multiple bilateral agreements spanning health, transport, and energy. Behind closed doors, the discussions will inevitably gravitate toward aerospace and defence, sectors where Paris is permanently eager to secure lucrative export contracts. There is even talk of a Saudi-funded Dragon Ball theme park in the Val-d'Oise region. When the national treasury is severely depleted, no source of foreign direct investment is too trivial to pursue.

The official line from the Élysée emphasizes that the visit reflects the vitality of the dialogue between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and France. The presidency also highlights a need for close coordination regarding stability in the Near and Middle East, particularly as Riyadh monitors developments in Iran amidst ongoing US-Israeli tensions. Yet, the underlying driver of this renewed friendship is access to energy. As European nations have sought to replace Russian fuels during the war in Ukraine, the geopolitical leverage of the world’s leading crude oil exporter has surged dramatically. Macron recognized this shift early, becoming one of the first Western leaders to visit the Crown Prince in Riyadh in December 2021.

Naturally, this pragmatic embrace requires a certain degree of institutional amnesia regarding the 2018 murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. While a United Nations investigation labelled the killing an extrajudicial execution by the Saudi state, and US intelligence concluded the Crown Prince approved the operation, Riyadh maintains the act was carried out by rogue agents. When Mohammed bin Salman visited Paris in July 2022, the French political left erupted in predictable outrage, accusing the government of trading human rights for oil and arms. Today, those protests are little more than background noise to the machinery of international trade.

Saudi Arabia is confidently preparing to host the World Expo in 2030 and the football World Cup in 2034, projecting an image of a rising global power. France, meanwhile, struggles with the severe consequences of its own failed immigration policies, escalating urban crime, and an increasingly burdensome welfare state. Under these circumstances, Paris simply cannot afford the luxury of alienating a crucial economic and regional player. The red carpet rolled out for the Crown Prince is not merely a gesture of diplomatic courtesy; it is an acknowledgement of harsh economic reality.

Written by Thorben Thiede thorben.thiede@alpineweekly.com