Saudi Arabia: Prince MBS In Paris — What To Expect?
19 April 2018
By Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi
THREE weeks in the United States, after many days in Egypt and the United
Kingdom, and the energetic Crown Prince is still on the go. His "Charm
Offensive" tour, as TIME magazine described it, is continuing in France and
probably Spain. During his world tour, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman met
with all relevant figures for his Vision 2030. They included royals,
presidents, prime ministers, ministers, and a long list of religious,
political, military and academic leaders. His meetings with bankers, CEOs of
energy, space and entertainment firms are quite important for the Vision 2030.
In Paris, MBS will attend cultural events, political meetings and an economic
forum. A mega tourism project between the two countries is to be announced. No
other mega deals are expected, however. A senior French diplomat explains:
"Competition is fierce so we had to rethink the models of relationships. Less
talk about major contracts and more focus on sectors that are less spectacular
such as health, education and tourism." The diplomat should have also
mentioned military cooperation. France is a primary seller of arms to Saudi
Arabia (after the US and UK). For decades, it provided us with tanks, armored
vehicles, munitions and artillery and navy ships. Defense firms, including
Dassault and Thales, have major contracts here.
In June 2015 Saudi Arabia and France agreed to sign $12 billion of deals.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said then that the ten contracts
included 23 Airbus H145 helicopters worth $500 million. Meanwhile, Reuters
reported that the Saudi defense ministry was also discussing the price for a
contract for French naval patrol boats, built by DCNS.
In 2016, licenses potentially worth 18 billion euros ($22.11 billion) to Saudi
Arabia were approved, with deliveries worth about 2 billion euros.
A new way of doing business is being discussed though. "In conjunction with
the Saudi authorities, France has initiated a new arms export strategy with
the Kingdom, which until now has been managed by ODAS," a French official was
quoted, referring to the organization that currently handles French defense
interests in Saudi Arabia. "It will now be covered by an intergovernmental
agreement between the two countries. The ODAS company will only provide for
the termination of existing contracts," he explained.
Saudi relations with the French Republic go way back. It was one of the first
countries to recognize the government of King Abdulaziz in 1926. France
established a consulate in 1929 and concluded a treaty between the Kingdom of
Hejaz and France in 1931. Following the declaration of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia in 1932, the French government established a full diplomatic
relationship and opened the first embassy in Jeddah in 1936.
Saudi and France throughout WWII declared war on the Axis, in which the
Kingdom supplied oil to the allies. After WWII Saudi was aligned with the NATO
countries against communism. Ever since King Faisal and General de Gaulle met
in 1967, bilateral relations have evolved through personal contacts at the
highest levels. France joined the United States and other coalition forces in
Desert Shield, an operation launched by former US President George H.W. Bush
to defend the Kingdom from Iraqi aggression after the invasion of Kuwait.
In 2015, French President Francois Hollande was invited to address a Gulf
Cooperation Council summit in Riyadh, a role not often given to a foreign head
of state.
On May 2016, a delegation of the Saudi French Parliamentary Friendship
Committee of the Shoura Council had a meeting with French Foreign Minister
Jean-Marc Ayrault at the French Foreign Ministry in Paris
A forum was established for expanding Saudi-French trade known as the Saudi
French Business Opportunities Forum. The first forum was successfully held in
Paris in April 2013 under the auspices of BSF, and was organized by the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with the Ministry of
Economy and Industry, the Council of Saudi Chambers, and the Saudi-French
Business Council. A second meeting was held in October 2015 in the
Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, featuring France's largest corporations such as Airbus
and Legrand.
Similar business forums and events will take place during the Crown Prince's
visit to Paris. His meetings with President Emmanuel Macron and other
political leaders should cover a wide-range of issues, including Syria,
Lebanon, Yemen and the war on terrorism. Iran's destructive activities and
threats to regional security and stability are expected to top the agenda. In
addition, French participation in Vision 2030 would be a major topic in
meetings with state and business leaders.
We expect more good news from this visit to the City of Light, as we had from
the previous ones to Cairo and London, and as we expect from the last visit to
Andalusia. The future is full of good surprises if you plan your voyage-— with
the right company — well enough, as we do!
— Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi is a Saudi writer based in Jeddah. He can be
reached at kbatarfi@gmail.com. Follow him at Twitter:@kbatarfi
©
EsinIslam.Com
Add Comments