KSA and France share a privileged relationship

France and Saudi Arabia are bound by an effective strategic partnership constantly strengthened over the last decades.
Ever since King Faisal and General de Gaulle met in 1967, our bilateral relations have evolved through personal contacts at the highest levels.
Thus, the second visit paid by the then President, François Hollande, to Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 29 and 30, 2013, allowed him once more, to maintain extended talks with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and with Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense.
This visit corroborates the solidity of our partnership in all sectors and confirms the necessity of pursuing the means for its reinforcement.
It also crowns a year of enriching bilateral ministerial visits.
Over the last year, the ministers of foreign affairs, defense, foreign trade, production, recovery and French Abroad visited Saudi Arabia and several Saudi ministers (namely the minister of Interior, of the National Guard and of Health…) came to France. Noteworthy as well, are the visits paid by numerous high-ranking officials of diverse sectors.
All these visits illustrate the extent of the new momentum given to the French-Saudi relationship.
To begin with, let’s highlight our excellent political relations. Our positions largely converge and we work together in favor of stability in the Middle East: we are firmly committed toward the stability of Iraq; we are together besides the Syrian people; we relentlessly promote an equitable peace process in the Middle East; we scrupulously defend Lebanon’s sovereignty; we carefully see to the security of the Gulf region which should definitely remain devoid of nuclear weapons.
Our privileged relationship reveals itself around shared interest in the economic sector. Saudi Arabia is our main trade partner among the GCC countries. France is the third biggest foreign investor in the Kingdom.
Important contracts are signed by French companies in the water treatment, electricity and transportation sectors.
Our companies are also active in the health, distribution, energy, hotel business, luxury and defense sectors.
We have signed in 2011 a cooperation agreement in the civil nuclear field.
Our countries have a long history of cooperation in defense, public security and the fight against terrorism.
This cooperation takes shape namely in military trainings and increasingly ambitious bilateral exercises.
The military equipment provided to the Saudi armed forces, also used by our own armies, have proven their efficiency and excellence.
Culture plays also an essential role in our exchanges.
The number of Saudi students in France is constantly on the rise. Exchanges between universities grow year after year, especially in the scientific field.
We are also developing a cooperation aimed at attending to the modernization programs of the Kingdom’s administration.
We also contribute to the promotion of the Saudi heritage through projects aiming at the preservation of certain sites and through our archaeological missions.
We should recall the great exhibition on the archaeological treasures of Saudi Arabia that took place in 2010 in the Louvre, and the opening last year of the Department of Islamic Arts of the Louvre Museum, partly financed by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
Last but not least, is the rich and varied cultural programs offered by the French Embassy in the Kingdom.
French citizens living in the Kingdom play, in this respect, an essential role, regardless of their field of activity.
I would like to conclude by a word on Saudi Arabia’s evolution. Since my arrival here, about seven years ago, I have witnessed the Kingdom’s impressive development and modernization, whilst remaining true to itself.
The reforms undertaken by Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, are fundamental in this respect.
Our modest ambition is to accompany Saudi Arabia in this journey. Our cooperation in all fields contributes to it.
Today, the world’s fast development, particularly in the Middle East, makes it more than ever necessary to maintain this strong, lasting and friendly relation between Saudi Arabia and France.
—
Bertrand Besancenot Ambassador of France to Saudi Arabia