The key facts

  • Macron began a three-day tour of four Gulf countries in Kuwait, then arrived in the UAE
  • Visits to Bahrain and Qatar are scheduled next
  • The tour takes place amid regional tensions and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz

Visit to the UAE

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Monday as part of a three-day tour of four Persian Gulf countries. According to the Emirati newspaper Al-Ain, he was met at the airport by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Welcome ceremony

According to the publication, the welcome ceremony was also attended by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; and Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, adviser to the UAE President, as well as a number of other Emirati officials.

Itinerary and context

Macron began the tour earlier the same day in Kuwait. After the UAE, visits to Bahrain and Qatar are scheduled. According to the Anadolu agency, the trip takes place against the backdrop of escalating regional tensions and disruptions to maritime shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a strategic waterway through which a significant portion of the world's oil supplies passes.