The Saudi Crown Prince receives the French President in the capital, Riyadh

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The Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, received French President Emmanuel Macron, who is visiting Saudi Arabia after a Gulf tour that included Kuwait, the Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar.

President Macron was received at King Khalid International Airport by Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman, Deputy Governor of the Riyadh Region, Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, Secretary of the Region, and the Ambassador of the Republic of France to the Kingdom, Patrick Maisonneuve.

Relations between Riyadh and Paris are gaining special importance in light of the acceleration of international and regional changes that require exchanging opinions and coordinating positions between the two countries.

French President Macron is considered the European leader most keen to communicate with the Saudi Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister, according to a French presidential source, as the source confirmed that President Macron is in regular communication with the Saudi Crown Prince.

In the same context, the presidential source described in previous statements the level of communications between Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Macron as “very close,” explaining that it is not limited to one aspect but rather includes several sectors, most notably energy and culture.

In a related context, the historical relations between the two countries over the decades witness continuous cooperation in various fields, and the two countries seek to enhance cooperation in multiple fields.

Earlier, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavro confirmed to Al Arabiya.net / Al Hadath.net that the Houthi attacks in Yemen and against Saudi Arabia threaten the stability of the Middle East, global supplies and energy security, stressing that Paris strongly condemned the recent attacks that targeted Riyadh Airport and other civilian sites, which resulted in civilian casualties and hundreds of wounded, including a French woman.

He added that France renews its solidarity with Saudi Arabia, and has confirmed its continued support in defending its lands and facilities, referring to Paris’ announcement on September 24 of last year to send military means to protect the Yanbu Energy Facility, which is the main Saudi terminal for exporting crude oil on the Red Sea.

He stressed that the French approach is purely defensive, and aims to avoid a new rise in global energy prices, stressing that Paris does not seek to get involved in the conflict, but rather to prevent a new escalation in the region that conflicts with everyone’s interests.

In terms of navigation security, he pointed to France's continued participation in the European defensive operation (ASPEDS) in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, through the deployment of a frigate to protect civilian ships.