• France and Saudi Arabia enjoy a long term strategic partnership
France opened its first Consulate in Jeddah in 1839. Ever since King Faisal and Gen. de Gaulle met in 1967, our bilateral relations have evolved through personal contacts at the highest levels. This tradition remains strong. The French President François Hollande paid four visits to the Kingdom since his election in 2012.
His last official visit in May 2015 was particularly historic as he met Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif and Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman and he was the guest of honor of the GCC summit. This visit bolstered a new reinforcement of our strategic partnership with the Kingdom and the GCC countries.
• Relationship between Paris and Riyadh is based on friendship, confidence and mutual interests
France and Saudi Arabia have always enjoyed a strong, close and confident relationship, which has known a new impetus during the last years.
Our two friendly countries have increased the pace of their bilateral visits. Last March, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and interior minister, visited France, where he received the Legion of Honor, the highest honor in France whose recipients are designated by the President of the French Republic.
Two weeks ago, on June 27-28, France was also delighted to host Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and defense minister, to discuss about development of the bilateral relations in the framework of the Saudi Vision 2030. On the occasion of these two high ranking visits, the Crown Prince and the Deputy Crown Prince met with the President of the French Republic, François Hollande, the Prime Minister Manuel Valls, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Jean-Marc Ayrault, the defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian with whom they share a common approach and views of the situation in the Middle East (Syria, Yemen, Iran, Iraq and Middle East Peace Process).
Moreover, members of the French Parliament and Majlis Al-Shoura have strengthened their relations through multiple visits to Riyadh and Paris in the framework of the French–Gulf countries friendship group.
Those meetings and events show the high level of our special bilateral relation, which promote mutual strategic interest of our both countries for the benefit of French and Saudi people.
• French President François Hollande and King Salman strengthen strategic partnership
In May 2015, our two leaders, François Hollande and King Salman, adopted an ambitious Action Plan to boost our relationship through a win-win approach. Since then, France and Saudi Arabia have already held two joint committees, co-chaired by Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman and Jean-Marc Ayrault, minister of French foreign affairs and international development.
The 3rd Saudi-French joint Committee, to be held next fall, will focus on our common determination to strengthen the French-Saudi strategic partnership and deepen our special relationship through the improvement of our trade and the identification of new cooperation prospects within the framework the National Transformation Program (NTP) 2020 adopted by the Kingdom to implement the Saudi Vision 2030. On this occasion the president of the French Republic has commended the economic and social reforms plan adopted by the Kingdom and confirmed willingness of the French government and private investors to stand with people of Saudi Arabia.
The last joint committee, held last October in Riyadh at the same time of the historic 2nd Saudi French Business Forum, was marked by the presence of the French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, who led a delegation of more than 100 French officials. More than 2,000 participants and 130 French firms attended this major business event, which is believed to be the biggest international Business Forum held in Riyadh. Besides, the French Embassy in Riyadh has organized several business meetings between top leaders of French companies and Saudi economic key players in order to improve Saudi investment in France as well as to foster French businessmen to invest in the Kingdom. France is convinced that the high French expertise must take part in the new era to be implemented by the National Transformation Program 2020.
France and the Kingdom have built a strong global partnership of excellence in various common interest fields such as defense, energy, healthcare, agriculture, transportation and infrastructure, culture, education and sport as well as sciences and technology, information, environment, water, housing, tourism and heritage.
With $15.3 billion of French foreign direct investment (FDI) in Saudi Arabia, France is the 3rd biggest investor in the Kingdom. More than 80 French subsidiaries have an active presence in Saudi Arabia, and most of the big groups of CAC 40 (Paris Index) are represented in the Kingdom. They employ about 27.600 people, including 10 000 Saudis, a Saudization rate of 36% much higher than the average of the Saudi economy (16%).
Twenty-four Saudi companies are located in France (mostly by acquiring existing entities). They employ 3,200 persons directly and achieve a combined turnover of approximately 350 million euros.
Bertrand Besancenot
Ambassador of France
