RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman departed the Kingdom for France on Friday evening, the Saudi Royal Court confirmed.
French President Emmanuel Macron will receive the crown prince on Sunday for a two-day official visit, a statement from Elysee Palace said.
The visit follows Macron’s visit to Saudi Arabia in December 2024.
“It reflects the vitality of the dialogue between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and France and will provide an opportunity to further strengthen the strategic partnership between our two countries. To this end, the President of the Republic and the Crown Prince will, for the first time, convene a meeting of the Franco-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council,” the statement said.
The two leaders will discuss major economic and strategic issues shaping the Franco-Saudi partnership, and exchange views on key regional issues, at a time when close coordination between France and its Gulf partners is essential to promoting stability and peace in the Near and Middle East, the statement added.
Both leaders would also attend the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup on Sunday, which is being held in Paris for the first time outside Saudi Arabia since its creation.
The hosting of this major global championship demonstrates France’s renewed appeal as a destination for major international sporting events, following in particular the success of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Elysee Palace statement said.
It also reflects the shared ambition of France and Saudi Arabia to make sport and culture drivers of closer ties between the two countries, it added.
