French President Emmanuel Macron has obtained pledges for an additional 200,000 tonnes of diesel each month from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, the French presidency said. The Elysee Palace announced the agreements on Tuesday, shortly before Macron arrived in Qatar.
The visit is part of a three-day tour of the Gulf that will also take him to Kuwait. It comes after a weekend of violent protests in France over the rising cost of living, while the US-Iran war continues to keep energy prices elevated.
Diesel supply pledges from the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait
According to the presidency, the UAE has committed to roughly 100,000 tonnes a month. A further 100,000 tonnes monthly is expected to be secured during Macron’s stop in Bahrain.
Also read: French protests over prices turn violent in Paris and Marseille · Gaza food prices soar as Israel halts commercial shipments
Combined with shipments from Saudi Arabia, France now holds commitments for 295,000 tonnes a month. The presidency said this equals just over 10 percent of the country’s consumption.
Kuwait has also made what the presidency described as “very clear commitments” to supply diesel and kerosene to the French overseas territories of Mayotte and Reunion in the Indian Ocean. Those cargoes will travel via Oman to avoid the Strait of Hormuz.
Patrick Pouyanne, chief executive of the French oil company TotalEnergies, is travelling with Macron. He said the agreements would “reassure the French”. “We are not going to run out of diesel in February,” he told the AFP news agency.
Fuel shortages and prices under pressure at home
Iran has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, the main export route for Gulf energy, which has pushed crude prices sharply higher during the eight-month conflict. Diesel has been among the hardest-hit fuels.
The G7, which France chairs this year, agreed earlier in October to release up to 100 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves. France has separately released 10 million barrels of diesel from its own stockpiles.
The presidency said this measure aims to lower pump prices by 12 to 18 cents a litre, or about 5 to 8 percent, starting next month.
Analysts link energy deals to wider Gulf ties with Europe
Andreas Krieg, a professor at the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, told that France’s energy agreements fit a broader trend. He said Gulf states have sent delegations to London, Paris, Berlin and Rome in recent months, seeking access to military complexes and possible stakes in European defence companies.
“They see a growing entanglement between their interests and European interests,” Krieg said, adding that the ties extend “Not just in the energy field” but also to supply chains. He argued that both sides are under pressure from a United States that is increasingly sidelining them, which opens room to reduce dependence on Washington.
Sheikha Alanoud Hamad Saud Al Thani, a political analyst and fellow at the Middle East Council for Global Affairs, said Macron’s agenda in Qatar includes security, defence, securing energy commitments for France, and advancing artificial intelligence. She told that Qatar “really valued” its ties with France, one of the Gulf state’s oldest defence relationships, and described the visit as “extremely consequential”.
She also said Qatar was looking to strengthen its anti-drone and defence capabilities as it adapts to new forms of asymmetric warfare.
