Macron to visit UAE on Gulf tour

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to embark on a Gulf tour, visiting the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar from October 19 to 21. During his trip, he aims to address the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on energy prices. The visit comes amid France's worst civil unrest in years, with over 2,000 people arrested for property damage.

The four Gulf nations have all faced attacks on their energy sites during the US-Iran war, which has also reduced oil exports through the strait. Yemen's Houthi rebels are now targeting the second strait, Bab Al Mandeb, raising concerns about a potential worsening of the global energy crisis.

In light of the Middle East crisis, Macron's presidency intends to work with regional leaders to restore stability and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Discussions will also focus on securing and diversifying energy supplies and their transport routes to mitigate the crisis's impact on French daily life. Macron's talks will cover defence, security, new technologies like AI, and economic relations with Gulf countries.

Macron has previously visited the UAE, last December, meeting Sheikh Mohamed at the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi. His other visits include attending the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai in 2023 and participating in the Louvre Abu Dhabi opening ceremony in 2017. On his latest Middle East trip, Macron traveled to Damascus in July, marking the first appearance of a major Western leader in post-civil war Syria.