French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today, Saturday, to hold direct talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Macron and the Saudi crown prince are expected to discuss regional issues, including the Iranian nuclear issue, as well as Lebanon.
Macron is the first Western leader to visit Saudi Arabia since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in his country's consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Macron considers Saudi Arabia important to help conclude a regional peace agreement with Iran, and sees it as an ally in the battle against Islamist militants from the Middle East to West Africa, and a bulwark against the Muslim Brotherhood.
France is one of the kingdom's main arms suppliers, but it is facing increasing pressure to reconsider its sales due to the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen, which is mired in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
Macron arrived in Saudi Arabia from Qatar, where he held talks with its Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The discussions dealt with bilateral, economic and investment issues between the two countries.
Macron began his Gulf tour from the UAE yesterday, Friday, where he met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.
On the sidelines of the visit, he announced the signing of a deal under which the UAE would buy 80 French Rafale fighters, worth about $17 billion.