Macron kicks off three-day Gulf tour, seeks securing fuel supplies amid crisis

French President Emmanuel Macron began a three-day tour of the Gulf on Monday, starting with a visit to Kuwait. He was welcomed at Kuwait International Airport by the emir, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Macron's trip includes visits to Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates by Wednesday, with the goal of strengthening economic and defense partnerships in a region experiencing turmoil due to the US-Iran war since February.

The tour aims to secure oil and diesel supplies to help lower prices following a weekend of violent protests in France caused by rising living costs. In an address late Sunday, Macron addressed the "unbridled violence" in France, which saw more than 2,500 arrests and the looting and burning of shops and town halls. While Macron acknowledged security and intelligence failures, he refused the resignation of his interior minister.

According to Free Malaysia Today, Macron stated the visit was necessary to secure supplies because demonstrators had expressed concern regarding fuel prices. Constitutional expert Benjamin Morel noted that while the tour may provide an impression of normality, it might also appear out of touch or suggest a power vacuum.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, Al-Monitor, Free Malaysia Today — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.