RIYADH — French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday, Dec. 2, for a three-day official visit. This is in response to an invitation from Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. The Elysee Palace sources described Macron's third visit to Saudi Arabia as "exceptional" state visit at the highest diplomatic level, reflecting the quality of the relations between the two countries, especially the special and personal relations between the French president and the Saudi crown prince. The visit, according to Paris, comes at a "crucial moment" as both parties are seeking to elevate them to the level of "strategic partnership" that will be formally announced during the visit. Elysee sources said that this development, in its political aspect, will allow for "the manifestation of a common and renewed ambition" for the next ten years that will be based on a joint action plan. They also stressed that the visit comes "while Saudi Arabia, at the behest of the Crown Prince, is engaged in a process of economic transformation and openness." Therefore, it provides an opportunity for France to affirm "its support for the emerging dynamic, and to confirm its desire to contribute to it," including the giga projects launched by Riyadh within the framework of "Vision 2030."
