ABU DHABI, UAE / AsiaWire.IO / – UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan engaged in discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron in Abu Dhabi on October 19, focusing on expanding their countries’ strategic alliance. This meeting took place amid Macron’s official visit to the UAE. The conversations covered topics such as the economy, investment, energy, advanced technology, and artificial intelligence, with both nations emphasizing their shared vision of development and prosperity for their populations.
Both leaders reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to UAE-France collaboration in critical sectors. They also assessed progress on joint initiatives in energy, cutting-edge technology, and artificial intelligence. After the discussions, Sheikh Mohamed hosted a banquet in honor of his French guest. Macron signed the VIP guestbook, expressing pride in the steady growth of bilateral relations and wishing for further expansion of the partnership in the coming years.
A significant portion of the dialogue addressed regional and global issues. The leaders examined recent developments in the Middle East and efforts to mitigate their effects on maritime security and worldwide energy supplies. They highlighted their shared resolve to enhance coordination to promote regional security, stability, and peace. Recent attacks on Gulf energy facilities have limited oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, exerting additional pressure on world energy markets.
Energy routes and maritime security take center stage
Macron’s Gulf visit, scheduled from October 19 to 21, encompasses the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. An Élysée source explained that the trip aims to foster stability and secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, France seeks to diversify and secure energy supplies and transportation routes. In April, France and the United Kingdom jointly proposed creating an international maritime coalition to safeguard ships in the strait.
The French delegation included prominent business and government officials, such as the chief executives of energy firms TotalEnergies and Engie, as well as the head of Campus AI, a major technology complex under construction near Paris with funding from the UAE. Ministers Catherine Vautrin, Jean-Noël Barrot, and Roland Lescure, responsible for defense, foreign affairs, and the economy respectively, also traveled with Macron. The Abu Dhabi program featured a UAE-France Business Dialogue.
Official reception includes Abu Dhabi leadership
Sheikh Mohamed welcomed Macron with a formal ceremony that included an honor guard and military band. His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, attended the meeting and banquet. He was accompanied by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs. Several other officials, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Advisor to the UAE President, and various ministers, were present as well.
These discussions continue a long history of high-level exchanges between the two leaders. Macron’s previous visit to Abu Dhabi was in December 2025, when he and Sheikh Mohamed toured the Zayed National Museum. Macron also participated in COP28 in Dubai in 2023 and attended the 2017 opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. In July, Macron became the first major Western leader to visit Syria following its civil war. His Gulf tour concludes in Qatar on October 21.