Macron makes surprise Saudi visit as France secures extra diesel supplies

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The unannounced trip comes as Saudi Arabia agreed to supply extra diesel to France “for as many months as necessary”, the Elysee Palace told the AFP news agency on Wednesday.

The visit aims to “demonstrate France’s solidarity with the kingdom in the face of the attacks carried out by the Houthis against its territory, and to continue efforts undertaken on securing and diversifying hydrocarbon supplies”, the French presidency said earlier.

The diplomatic push follows days of rioting in France, fuelled by the cost of living, especially as the US-Iran war and Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have kept energy prices high.

Enfrentando críticas ao seu tour no Golfo em solo francês, Macron disse aos repórteres que estava apenas “fazendo o seu trabalho” em uma tentativa de “acalmar as tensões” sobre os preços da gasolina, uma das causas da agitação social na França.

Macron met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi capital, and the two agreed to consult on expanding security cooperation and on infrastructure projects to bypass the blockaded strait, the palace said.

Não foi informado quanto de diesel extra a Arábia Saudita forneceria.

The deal follows pledges secured earlier in Macron’s Gulf tour. The presidency said on Tuesday that the United Arab Emirates had committed to about 100,000 tonnes a month, with a further 100,000 tonnes monthly to be secured in Bahrain.

Together with Saudi deliveries, France now has commitments for 295,000 tonnes a month, just more than 10 percent of its consumption, it said.

Meanwhile, France is also sending military assets to Saudi Arabia, under an earlier agreement, to help protect the Red Sea port of Yanbu, which has come under attack from the Iran-backed Houthis, an armed group also known as Ansar Allah (Arabic for Supporters of God).

O Reino Unido também anunciou na terça-feira que enviaria caças para ajudar a proteger o reino. Ambos os países afirmam que seu apoio é puramente defensivo.

Analistas dizem que as medidas protegem as exportações de petróleo da Arábia Saudita que são importantes para os mercados energéticos da Europa e reforçam a aliança do Golfo, enquanto os EUA demonstram relutância em oferecer ajuda militar direta.

They also carry risks, analysts say, potentially drawing the two European states into the protracted Saudi-Houthi conflict.

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