France's decades-long ties with Gulf states built on 'economic development, oil, defence agreements'

Home Middle East To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Cover image: © France 24 08:49 Issued on: 20/10/2026 - 17:52Modified: 20/10/2026 - 17:57 Genie Godula is pleased to welcome François Gouyette, former French ambassador to the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Against a backdrop of violent unrest at home and escalating conflict in the Middle East, French President Emmanuel Macron's Gulf diplomacy underscores the increasingly blurred boundaries between domestic economic security and international strategic commitments. Ambassador Gouyette argues that the visit serves a dual purpose: alleviating France's energy pressures while reaffirming its longstanding defense partnerships with Gulf monarchies. Insisting that "France has to play its role as a key partner," Gouyette portrays French military assistance as an expression of strategic solidarity rather than direct participation in the war with Iran. Keywords for this article