Macron Tours Gulf States to Secure French Fuel Supplies

French President Emmanuel Macron is travelling through the Gulf this week, with securing France's energy supplies at the centre of the trip, according to 中国新闻网. He began the three-day tour in Kuwait, where he held talks with the country's leadership and signed cooperation documents, and he is due to visit Bahrain and Qatar before returning home on 21 October.

Why it matters

The visit comes as fighting in the Middle East weighs on shipping routes and global fuel markets. 中国新闻网 reports that diesel prices in Europe and North America have repeatedly hit new highs in recent weeks. Macron confirmed in a televised address to the nation on the evening of 18 October that he would make the trip as planned, saying France is exposed to the knock-on effects of the regional conflict and that the tour is meant to protect the country's energy supply.

Fuel reserves and French firms in tow

Representatives of French energy companies, including TotalEnergies, are accompanying the president, according to French media cited by 中国新闻网. French officials say one focus of Macron's talks with Kuwaiti leaders was moving stockpiled fuel from the Middle East to the French overseas territories of Réunion and Mayotte.

The Kuwait leg also produced signed cooperation agreements between the two countries, though the reporting did not specify their contents.

Abu Dhabi talks cover energy and AI

In the United Arab Emirates, state media reported that Macron and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed discussed the energy crisis caused by the Middle East conflict as well as artificial intelligence, 中国新闻网 reports. The two leaders addressed how the regional situation affects maritime security and worldwide energy supply, according to the same account.

Coverage of the tour has also flagged the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf waterway through which a large share of the region's oil and gas moves, as a security concern during the trip.

Beyond energy: investment and defence

French officials said the president also wants the visit to draw investment from the Gulf states into France and to deepen cooperation on defence and security, 中国新闻网 reports. Those goals sit alongside the energy agenda rather than replacing it.

What to watch: whether the Bahrain and Qatar stops yield further agreements, and whether French officials give any account of concrete fuel delivery arrangements after the president returns on 21 October.