French President Emmanuel Macron has begun a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, seeking to boost arms sales while backing the kingdom's move away from oil dependency.
Saudi Arabia, the world's second-largest arms importer, is a significant market for French military equipment.
"France has historically sold a lot of equipment to Saudi Arabia over many years," said Renaud Bellais, co-director of the Jean Jaurès Foundation's Defence Observatory and advisor to missile manufacturer MBDA.
“The Gulf countries – including Saudi Arabia – are open markets, in the sense that they are prepared to buy equipment from several suppliers.”
Arms contracts under scrutiny
One key goal of Macron’s visit is securing a deal for Rafale fighter jets. However, such contracts face scrutiny, particularly since UN experts accused Riyadh of committing war crimes in Yemen.
“There is nothing to indicate that France has obtained any new guarantees that its equipment will be used in compliance with international humanitarian law by Saudi Arabia,” Aymeric Elluin, arms advocacy officer at Amnesty International, told RFI.
Elluin added that Saudi Arabia has not taken significant steps to address alleged war crimes since the conflict began in 2014.
Economic diversification
Beyond arms deals, there are other pressing concerns during Macron’s visit, especially in light of the war in Gaza and the recently agreed ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
Macron’s visit coincides with Saudi Arabia hosting the Cop16 Desertification Summit, part of the country’s Vision 2030 strategy to diversify its economy beyond oil.
“There’s obviously a desire to continue developing economic relations, since there’s also a meeting in Riyadh – a water summit in which the French president will be taking part – which is also part of the Crown Prince's Vision 2030 plan," said David Rigoulet-Rozé, a researcher at the French Institute for Strategic Analysis.
Saudi Arabia is undergoing a fundamental transformation, aligning its efforts to create multiple economic partnerships, with France being a key ally.
But falling oil prices have forced it to scale back some projects. The Line, its planned futuristic desert city, will now house 300,000 people instead of 1.5 million.
France views Saudi Arabia as a vital ally in developing multiple economic sectors, including renewable energy.
“This is obviously the context in which the efforts to forge multiple economic partnerships are taking place ... and France is obviously one of these special relationships,” Rigoulet-Rozé said.
