Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, departed Riyadh for an official visit to France following the directive of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The state visit features scheduled talks at the Élysée Palace focused on regional security, de-escalation strategies, and safeguarding maritime navigation and global energy supply chains amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. The two leaders will also co-chair the inaugural meeting of the Franco-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council, a body established to formalize bilateral cooperation across defense, energy, technology, and trade.
Beyond diplomatic and economic negotiations, the Crown Prince is scheduled to join President Macron at the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup taking place in Paris, according to Middle East Online. High-level meetings with French government officials will follow at Les Invalides to conclude the official itinerary.
The talks highlight the deepening partnership between Paris and Riyadh as both nations seek to leverage diplomatic channels to contain regional instability while advancing long-term defense, industrial, and economic initiatives under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 framework.
