Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will pay an official visit next week to France, expected to focus on investment but also the war in Yemen, French officials confirmed Thursday.
The 32-year-old de-facto Saudi leader is expected to arrive Sunday for a two-day official visit starting Monday — the latest stop in an international tour that has already taken him to the US and Britain.
On Tuesday, he will have dinner with President Emmanuel Macron to discuss “a new strategic partnership”, with a particular focus on investment in renewable energy and the digital economy, Macron’s office said.
“We want a new kind of cooperation, less focused on one-off contracts and more on forward-looking investments, namely in the digital economy and renewable energy, with a shared vision,” the presidency added in a statement.
The two leaders will also discuss Middle East conflicts, including the war in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out a brutal aggression since 2015.
France, along with the US, is a major arms vendor to Saudi Arabia and several rights groups have condemned Paris over selling arms that have been used by Riyadh to bomb Yemen.
French officials said France was not expected to sign any major deals during Prince Salman’s visit.
Source: AFP
