Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, made a sudden and unexpected trip to Riyadh, becoming the first Western leader to visit the country since the escalation of Houthi attacks from Yemen against Saudi Arabia, showing his solidarity with this oil-rich Arab ally.
The Purpose of Macron's Trip to Saudi Arabia
This trip was part of Macron's Gulf tour aimed at securing oil and diesel and reducing prices in France following severe public protests over rising living costs. In response to criticisms of this trip, Macron stated that he is "only doing his duty" and is working to "reduce tensions" over gas prices, which is one of the reasons for social unrest in France.
The French President was welcomed by Saudi officials at Riyadh airport and is set to meet with Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. A statement from the French presidency indicated that this trip is intended to "demonstrate France's solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks" and to continue efforts to secure and diversify hydrocarbon resources.
Consequences of Houthi Attacks and Military Cooperation
Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have increased to unprecedented levels in recent weeks, leading to the shutdown of Riyadh airport and the postponement of a major investment conference. Additionally, a Houthi naval blockade poses a threat to Saudi oil exports. During this trip, Macron announced that France has sent forces to protect key oil facilities in Yanbu and emphasized the importance of resuming negotiations with the Houthis.
He stated: "For the past eight days, we have deployed personnel and equipment in Yanbu; we are cooperating with Saudi Arabia in this regard and have a defensive role." This comes as Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, relies on Yanbu for its oil exports. Macron had previously announced in a television interview last month that France would send "military equipment" to support the Yanbu facilities.
On Tuesday, the British government also announced that it would send British fighter jets to assist Saudi Arabia in defending against increasing Houthi attacks. Additionally, Macron secured an extra 200,000 tons of diesel per month from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as two terawatt hours per month of LNG from Qatar during this trip.
This trip comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to garner Western support against Houthi attacks. In July, a fragile ceasefire from 2022 collapsed, and the Houthis allowed an Iranian aircraft to land in Yemen's capital, Sana'a, violating Saudi control over Yemeni airspace, which led to an increase in attacks.
