Macron reaches Qatar as Gulf partners pledge more diesel for France
The French presidency says commitments from the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia amount to 295,000 tonnes a month as Macron holds energy and security talks in Doha.
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Doha, Qatar, on 20 October for talks with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, after Gulf partners pledged additional diesel supplies to France. The French presidency put the commitments at 295,000 tonnes a month, equivalent to just over 10% of French consumption, according to Euronews. The visit brings Macron's search for energy supplies to Qatar as France faces pressure over fuel prices and the cost of living.
Macron began the state visit with talks at Lusail Palace after stops in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, Euronews reported. His delegation included Patrick Pouyanné, chief executive of French energy company TotalEnergies, which has a partnership with QatarEnergy in the North Field East gas expansion project.
How much diesel France has been promised
The French presidency said the UAE and Bahrain had pledged an additional 200,000 tonnes of diesel a month between them, roughly 100,000 tonnes from each country, Euronews reported. Including Saudi supplies, the presidency's figure rises to 295,000 tonnes a month. The reported commitments are pledges of supply; their duration and delivery terms were not specified for the UAE and Bahrain.
Al Jazeera reported that the UAE's 100,000-tonne monthly commitment was attributed to Bloomberg. It also reported a 100,000-tonne monthly pledge from Bahrain and said Saudi Arabia would provide 95,000 tonnes in each of October and November through TotalEnergies. That Saudi schedule gives a specific period for those shipments, unlike the reported UAE and Bahrain pledges.
Energy prices and regional security on the agenda
In an address to France on Sunday, 18 October, Macron said he would travel to the Gulf to secure energy supplies and respond to grievances over fuel prices and living costs, Euronews reported. The tour follows violent protests in France over public spending, pay and the cost of living. Al Jazeera reported that more than half a million people joined demonstrations across the country on Saturday and that authorities had imposed curfews in some cities.
Macron is also seeking stronger defence ties during a period of disruption to global fuel shipments linked to the US-Israel war on Iran, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet reported that he was accompanied on the Gulf trip by senior executives from TotalEnergies and Engie, France's two largest energy groups. In Qatar, the talks focus on energy security and regional stability, Euronews reported.
Qatar's foreign ministry said Tuesday's talks would be followed on Wednesday, 21 October, by a strategic dialogue covering energy, the economy, investment and defence, according to Euronews. The ministry's media and communication director, Ibrahim bin Sultan Al Hashmi, described France as a friend and ally at a briefing in Doha.
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Sources and context
- As Macron visits Gulf, can France forge its own energy-for-security future?Al Jazeera
- France's Macron begins state visit to Qatar as part of wider Gulf tourEuronews
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.