Macron Begins State Visit to Qatar as Part of Wider Gulf Tour
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Doha on Tuesday to begin a state visit to Qatar. As part of his Gulf tour, his talks with Qatar's emir focus on energy security and regional issues.
He was received at Hamad International Airport by Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, with fighter jets escorting his plane on arrival as part of the state visit honours.
Qatar follows earlier stops in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain. Securing pledges of additional energy supplies from Gulf partners is one of the main goals of the tour.
At home, Macron faces protests over the cost of living. In a speech to the nation on Sunday, after a weekend of violent protests across France, he said he would travel to the Gulf to secure France's energy supplies and address grievances over fuel prices and living costs.
The tour has already produced commitments for additional diesel. The French presidency said France had secured pledges of an extra 200,000 tonnes a month from the UAE and Bahrain — around 100,000 tonnes from each.
Including supplies from Saudi Arabia, the commitments total 295,000 tonnes a month, equivalent to just over 10 per cent of French consumption, the Élysée said.
Macron began his state visit to Qatar with talks at Lusail Palace with the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The French delegation includes TotalEnergies chief executive Patrick Pouyanné. The French energy company has substantial interests in Qatar, including a partnership with QatarEnergy in the North Field East gas expansion project.
Qatar's foreign ministry said Tuesday's talks would be followed by a strategic dialogue on Wednesday covering energy, the economy, investment and defence.
At a briefing in Doha, the ministry's director of media and communication, Ibrahim bin Sultan Al Hashmi, described France as a friend and ally and welcomed its position during the regional crisis.
France was among Qatar's main defenders during the Iran war, helping secure the Gulf country's air defence with fighter jets and other capabilities.
The visit also continues the two countries' investment ties. During the emir's 2024 state visit to France, Qatar pledged €10 billion of investment across sectors including energy transition, artificial intelligence, aerospace and healthcare.
