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France, Saudi Arabia
Paris appoints new ambassador to revive stalled relations

Patrick Maisonnave is to take up his post in Riyadh in September, with bilateral relations struggling and Paris increasingly interested in being part of the new Saudi-Israeli connection that has emerged from the war with Hamas. [...]

Published on 03/06/2024 at 04:00 GMT Reading time 5 minutes

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Abdullah Ali al-Yahya
Airbus Group
Alstom
Amr al-Madani
Arab World Institute
BAE Systems
Bruno Le Maire
Catherine Corm-Kammoun
Claire le Flécher
Dassault aviation
Dassault Systemes
DGSE
Donald Trump
Emmanuel Macron
Engie
Eric Giraud-Telme
French Agency for AlUla Development
GDF-Suez
Gerard Mestrallet
Hamas
Jack Lang
Jean-Baptiste Faivre
Jean-Christophe Paris
Jean-Yves le Drian
King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy
Ludovic Pouille
Mishal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah
Mohammed bin Salman al Saud
Nabil Hajlaoui
Nathalie Kennedy
Naval Group
Nazaha
Nicolas Niemtchinow
Olivier Gauvin
Patrick Maisonnave
Royal Commission for AlUla
Salem Abdullah al-Jaber al-Sabah
Salman bin Abdulaziz
Saudi Arabian Military Industries
Thales
Véronique Aulagnon
Xavier Chatel de Brancion

France, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, United States
Riyadh plays for time as it mulls options for Typhoon, Rafale and F-35s

While BAE Systems' Typhoon fighter jet is the favourite to renew the Saudi fleet, the kingdom's air force is still looking at France's Rafales. The Saudis are being patient, betting on a Donald Trump comeback that could pave the way for the F-35.

Subscribers only International Dealmaking 15.07.2024

The Royal Saudi Air Force's Eurofighter Typhoons at Zeltweg, Austria, in 2011. The Saudi fleet is now largely made up of second- and third-generation Typhoons.

France
Rafale royalty row rages on

Dassault, Thales and Safran have failed to get a French court to stop the state demanding €153m in royalties on sales of the fighter aircraft.

Subscribers only International Dealmaking 27.06.2024

A Rafale fighter jet during the dress rehearsal for Aero India 2023 in Bengaluru, 11 February 2023.

Spotlight | Saudi Arabia
Riyadh hardens tone against IEA as analysts predict weakened OPEC role

A new claim by the Paris-based International Energy Agency that OPEC will lose its ability to control oil prices is certain to anger Riyadh.

Subscribers only International Dealmaking 26.06.2024

The Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA)

France, Saudi Arabia
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Subscribers only International Dealmaking 03.06.2024

A Thales Group Ground Master 200 (GM200) radar.

Saudi Arabia, Spain
MbS prepares state visit to Madrid with defence contracts in sights

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) with Spain's PM Pedro Sanchez in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2 April 2024.

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The President of France, Emmanuel Macron.

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Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi, Qatar's minister of state at the foreign ministry, is at the heart of the country's most sensitive issues. Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who has overall responsibility for foreign affairs, relies on him to provide mediation and intelligence on several political and security fronts.

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Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh al-Khulaifi, number two in Qatari diplomacy.

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Jean-Yves Le Drian, Chair of the French Agency for the Development of AlUla.

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The Nabataean site of Al-Ula, in Saudi Arabia.

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Scopa Industries' poster campaign on the road to the Saudi World Defense Show in Riyadh in February 2024.

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Former French ambassador to Riyadh turned businessman François Gouyette.

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French President Emmanuel Macron on 2 December 2023 at COP28 in Dubai.

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in June 2023.

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Emmanuel Macron receives Mohammed Bin Salman at Paris's Elysee Palace.

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France, Kuwait
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Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

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Subscribers only International Dealmaking 24.01.2023

Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, CEO of Adnoc, and Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of TotalEnergies, at a signing ceremony before a state dinner in France on 18 July, 2022.

Set up email notifications for these topics

Abdullah Ali al-Yahya
Airbus Group
Alstom
Amr al-Madani
Arab World Institute
BAE Systems
Bruno Le Maire
Catherine Corm-Kammoun
Claire le Flécher
Dassault aviation
Dassault Systemes
DGSE
Donald Trump
Emmanuel Macron
Engie
Eric Giraud-Telme
French Agency for AlUla Development
GDF-Suez
Gerard Mestrallet
Hamas
Jack Lang
Jean-Baptiste Faivre
Jean-Christophe Paris
Jean-Yves le Drian
King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy
Ludovic Pouille
Mishal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah
Mohammed bin Salman al Saud
Nabil Hajlaoui
Nathalie Kennedy
Naval Group
Nazaha
Nicolas Niemtchinow
Olivier Gauvin
Patrick Maisonnave
Royal Commission for AlUla
Salem Abdullah al-Jaber al-Sabah
Salman bin Abdulaziz
Saudi Arabian Military Industries
Thales
Véronique Aulagnon
Xavier Chatel de Brancion

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France, Saudi Arabia Paris appoints new ambassador to revive stalled relations

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France, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, United States Riyadh plays for time as it mulls options for Typhoon, Rafale and F-35s

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Europe, UN, United States
Lawfare: inside the pursuit to weaponise international law

Israel
Israeli cyber bounces back after NSO woes

Central America, China, South America
Beijing on the offensive in Washington's spheres of influence

China, Europe, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, United States
The geopolitical power plays in Earth observation

France
Intelligence memos and grey zones before French courts

Insiders | China
Security, propaganda and the PLA: Xi Jinping forges new networks of influence

Insiders | Qatar
Barzan Holdings, Qatar's defence industry giant springing up out of the desert

France, Saudi Arabia
Paris appoints new ambassador to revive stalled relations

France, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, United States
Riyadh plays for time as it mulls options for Typhoon, Rafale and F-35s

France
Rafale royalty row rages on

Spotlight | Saudi Arabia
Riyadh hardens tone against IEA as analysts predict weakened OPEC role

France, Saudi Arabia
Thales banks on huge air defence contract to return to Riyadh

Saudi Arabia, Spain
MbS prepares state visit to Madrid with defence contracts in sights

Saudi Arabia
Fahad Toonsi, the economic brains behind Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030

France
Presidential diplomatic reshuffle opens new ambassadorial appointments

Spymaster | Qatar
Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi, from lawyer to chief Gaza negotiator

France, Saudi Arabia
French AlUla agency under internal scrutiny following corruption probe on Saudi side

Spotlight | France, Saudi Arabia
French companies worried after arrest of Al-Ula Saudi mega-project boss

Saudi Arabia
Scopa out: behind the removal of Airbus's partner from Saudi Arabia's defence plans

Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom
Might Muscat buy Riyadh's used Typhoons?

Spotlight | France, Saudi Arabia
French embassy in Riyadh offers royal road to business diplomacy

France, Middle East
Macron's rollercoaster Middle East diplomacy

Spotlight | France, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom
London overtakes Paris in race to equip Riyadh with fighter jets

Israel, Saudi Arabia
Israel and Saudi Arabia in intense discussions over Houthi Red Sea attacks

France, Middle East
A new role for Jean-Yves Le Drian in Israel-Hamas war

France, Saudi Arabia
Macron's visit to Riyadh now mooted for early 2024

France, Middle East
Thales reshuffles senior Gulf execs to strengthen connections with SAMI and Tawazun

Saudi Arabia
GCAP, F-35: France hesitates over Rafale sales pitch as ambitious Riyadh reassesses its fighter options

France, Kuwait
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Salem Al-Sabah in Paris to boost bilateral relationship

France, Oman
Oman opens ports to French Navy submarines

Spotlight | France, UAE
Patrick Pouyanné and Sultan Al Jaber play central role in France-UAE business ties