As Macron visits Gulf, can France forge its own energy-for-security future?

President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Bahrain during his tour of the Gulf region, as France continues to reel from a wave of violent protests.The French leader is hoping to strengthen defence ties and secure oil and gas supplies amid major disruption to global fuel shipments arising from the US-Israel war on Iran. He has already visited Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of his three-day trip. His next stop is Qatar.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3What help can Egypt offer Saudi Arabia in the war against the Houthis?list 2 of 3Qatar warns global energy shockwaves from Iran war have yet to peaklist 3 of 3Egyptian parliament delays vote on military support for Saudi Arabiaend of listOn the first day of Macron’s trip, France and Kuwait signed eight agreements and cooperation documents covering defence, artificial intelligence, investment and more.Macron then met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to advancing cooperation in energy, advanced technology and artificial intelligence (AI).According to the French Foreign Ministry, the UAE is France’s biggest importer in the Gulf...