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Gulf

Saudi Crown Prince Receives Credentials of Several Ambassadors

Saudi Crown Prince receives at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh the credentials of a number of newly appointed ambassadors to the Kingdom - SPA
Saudi Crown Prince receives at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh the credentials of a number of newly appointed ambassadors to the Kingdom - SPA
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Saudi Crown Prince Receives Credentials of Several Ambassadors

Saudi Crown Prince receives at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh the credentials of a number of newly appointed ambassadors to the Kingdom - SPA
Saudi Crown Prince receives at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh the credentials of a number of newly appointed ambassadors to the Kingdom - SPA

On behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, received on Tuesday at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh the credentials of a number of newly appointed ambassadors to the Kingdom.

According to SPA, the Crown Prince welcomed the ambassadors to the Kingdom and conveyed the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, wishing them success in their missions to strengthen and develop relations between their countries and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

For their part, the ambassadors conveyed the greetings of their leaders to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince, expressing gratitude for the warm welcome and generous hospitality.

The ceremony was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, as well as several other officials.

The credentials were presented by Ambassador of Belgium Pascal Grégoire, Ambassador of Ireland Gerard Cunningham, Ambassador of Thailand Darm Boontham, Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria Lubomir Nikolov Popov, Ambassador of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Nasser Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Ambassador of Germany Michael Kindsgrab, Ambassador of the European Union Christophe Farnaud, Ambassador of Iran Alireza Enayati, non-resident Ambassador of Slovenia Saso Podlesnik, Ambassador of Austria Oskar Wüstinger, Ambassador of Jordan Haitham Saleh Abu Alfoul, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina Razim Colic, Ambassador of Burkina Faso Boukary Savadogo, Ambassador of Georgia Nikoloz Revazishvili, Ambassador of Algeria Cherif Oualid, Ambassador of Albania Saimir Bala, Ambassador of Kenya Mohamed Ramadhan Ruwange, Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam Harun Junid, Ambassador of El Salvador Ricardo Ernesto Cucalon Levy, Ambassador of Türkiye Emrullah Isler, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic Andy Rafael Rodríguez Durán, Ambassador of Uzbekistan Nodirjon Turgunov, Ambassador of Argentina Facundo Vila, Ambassador of Kazakhstan Madiyar Menilbekov, Ambassador of China Chang Hua, non-resident Ambassador of Ecuador Denys Toscano Amores, Ambassador of Congo Nsita Mahungu Francis, Ambassador of Sri Lanka Omar Lebbe Ameer Ajwad, Ambassador of Zimbabwe Jonathan Wutawunashe, Ambassador of Sudan Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman, non-resident Ambassador of Seychelles Gervais Moumou, Ambassador of the Netherlands Hans Peter Van der Woude, Ambassador of Norway Kjersti Tromsdal, Ambassador of Romania Sebastian Mitrache, Ambassador of France Patrick Maisonnave, non-resident Ambassador of Estonia Maria Belovas, and Ambassador of Italy Carlo Balducci.

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Gulf

Nine Riyadh-Paris Visits Chart Path from Coordination to Strategic Partnership

Mohammed bin Salman and Macron during the French president’s visit to Riyadh in December 2024 (AP) 
Mohammed bin Salman and Macron during the French president’s visit to Riyadh in December 2024 (AP) 
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Nine Riyadh-Paris Visits Chart Path from Coordination to Strategic Partnership

Mohammed bin Salman and Macron during the French president’s visit to Riyadh in December 2024 (AP) 
Mohammed bin Salman and Macron during the French president’s visit to Riyadh in December 2024 (AP) 

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman’s current state visit to France marks the ninth official visit exchanged between the Saudi and French leaders since 2015, according to an Asharq Al-Awsat review of official sources.

The crown prince has traveled to France six times on official visits since 2015, including the current trip, while French President Emmanuel Macron has made three official visits to Saudi Arabia since taking office in 2017.

2015: First Visit

Mohammed bin Salman made his first official trip to France in June 2015, meeting then-President François Hollande at the Élysée Palace.

He also led the Saudi delegation at the inaugural meeting of the Saudi-French Permanent Coordinating Committee. The trip saw the signing of 10 agreements worth a total of $12 billion.

2016: Vision 2030 Joins the Agenda

Mohammed bin Salman returned to Paris in June 2016, meeting Hollande and other senior French officials.

Talks centered on developing bilateral ties and cooperation under Saudi Vision 2030, unveiled by the Kingdom two months earlier, as well as developments in the Middle East and efforts to bolster regional security and stability.

The trip broadened economic cooperation, placing Saudi Arabia’s transformation and diversification plans at the heart of discussions alongside political and defense coordination.

Several agreements and memorandums of understanding were signed, while the third Saudi-French Business Opportunities Forum brought together companies and business leaders to explore investment opportunities.

2017: Macron Makes First Saudi Trip

Macron traveled to Saudi Arabia on Nov. 9, 2017, months after taking office.

He met Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh for talks on regional stability, counterterrorism and peace efforts, according to the French presidency.

The French leader also condemned a Houthi ballistic missile attack targeting Riyadh and voiced his country’s solidarity with the Kingdom.

2018: Three Days in France, AlUla Agreement

In April 2018, Mohammed bin Salman traveled to France for the first time since becoming crown prince and for the third time since 2015.

During the three-day trip, he held wide-ranging discussions with Macron covering political, economic, defense and cultural ties, as well as regional issues.

The two countries signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation to develop AlUla, while Saudi and French companies concluded 19 agreements worth more than $18 billion.

2021: Macron in Jeddah

Macron returned to Saudi Arabia in December 2021 for talks with Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah.

Discussions focused on regional security and stability and ways to expand the bilateral partnership under Vision 2030, alongside Lebanon, Yemen, Iran and counterterrorism.

Riyadh and Paris also sought to broaden economic and investment cooperation, particularly in new technologies, future industries, renewable energy, culture and tourism.

2022: Energy and Global Crises

Mohammed bin Salman traveled to France again in July 2022, meeting Macron at the Élysée Palace as the Russia-Ukraine war weighed on global energy markets and food security.

Their discussions covered diversifying energy supplies to Europe and mitigating the impact of the food crisis, as well as developments in Lebanon and Yemen and Iran’s nuclear program.

Riyadh and Paris agreed to deepen cooperation in defense, energy, digital transformation, transport, sustainable cities and culture. France also renewed its support for Riyadh’s bid to host Expo 2030.

2023: A Broader Partnership

Mohammed bin Salman’s fifth official trip to France came in the summer of 2023, when he held bilateral and expanded talks with Macron at the Élysée Palace.

The leaders discussed bilateral ties and regional and international developments.

The crown prince also headed the Saudi delegation to the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact and attended an official reception promoting Riyadh’s Expo 2030 bid.

The trip reflected the widening scope of Saudi-French ties, extending beyond politics and defense to climate action, the global economy, investment and culture.

2024: Strategic Partnership

Macron traveled to Saudi Arabia for a third time from Dec. 2 to 4, 2024, on a state visit encompassing Riyadh and AlUla.

The trip saw the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries and the signing of a memorandum of understanding to create the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council, an umbrella framework for cooperation in politics, defense, the economy, culture, energy and technology.

Macron also attended an investment forum bringing together more than 200 Saudi and French companies and took part in the One Water Summit in Riyadh before traveling to AlUla in northern Saudi Arabia.

2026: Ninth Visit

Mohammed bin Salman’s current state visit to France is his sixth official trip to the country since 2015 and brings the total number of official visits exchanged between the two countries’ leaders to nine.

Macron has traveled to Saudi Arabia three times since becoming president in 2017.

 

 

Gulf

GCC, India Discuss Ministerial Meeting Set to be Held Next Month

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi
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GCC, India Discuss Ministerial Meeting Set to be Held Next Month

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi met in Riyadh on Sunday with Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Shri Vipul.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed a number of topics of common interest, most notably relations between the GCC and India, and ways to develop and enhance them in a manner that serves common interests.

They also discussed the latest developments regarding the launch of negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the GCC and India, signed in February 2026, in addition to preparations for the GCC-India ministerial meeting scheduled to be held next September.

The two officials also exchanged views on the latest developments in the region and the world, affirming the importance of continuing coordination and consultation on issues of common interest.

Gulf

GCC Secretary-General Holds Separate Meetings with South Korean, Georgian Ambassadors

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi
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GCC Secretary-General Holds Separate Meetings with South Korean, Georgian Ambassadors

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi met in Riyadh on Sunday with South Korean Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Kang Shin-chul.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed several topics of common interest, most notably GCC-Korean ties and the latest developments on the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the GCC and South Korea, SPA reported.

They also exchanged views on developments in the region, and international and regional efforts aimed at enhancing security and stability.

Albudaiwi also met with Ambassador of Georgia to the Kingdom Nikoloz Revazishvili.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed a number of topics related to strengthening relations between the GCC and Georgia, as well as ways to develop them in a manner that serves common interests, including the latest developments regarding the Joint Action Plan for 2022–2026.

They also discussed the latest developments in the region and the world and exchanged views on a number of issues of common interest.