# Macron heads to Gulf to secure fuel and strengthen ties

> French president visits Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and Qatar to lock in additional oil and gas supplies while deepening defence and technology partnerships.
- Title: Macron heads to Gulf to secure fuel and strengthen ties · RFI
- Summary: French president visits Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and Qatar to lock in additional oil and gas supplies while deepening defence and technology partnerships…
- Keywords: emmanuel macron, france, gulf states, energy security, middle east, kuwait, united arab emirates, bahrain, qatar, fuel supplies, news, world
- Source: RFI — https://rfi.fr/en/france/20261018-macron-begins-four-state-gulf-tour-focused-on-fuel-supplies-and-strategic-ties
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: emmanuel macron, france, gulf states, energy security, middle east, kuwait, united arab emirates, bahrain, qatar, fuel supplies, news, world
## Macron confirms Gulf trip despite unrest
French president Emmanuel Macron will depart for a three-day Gulf tour as scheduled despite nationwide rioting and looting over school conditions and rising prices.
## Four nations, one mission: fuel security
Macron will visit Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar from nineteen to twenty-first October to secure additional diesel and petrol supplies for France.
## Why fuel supplies matter now
Energy shipments from the Gulf face growing disruption because of instability around two of the world's most important maritime chokepoints: the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.
## Macron's goal: lower prices for French people
A presidential adviser said the aim is to secure additional volumes and more supplies for the French people, which will indirectly have an effect on prices.

> The aim is to secure additional volumes and more supplies for the French people, which will indirectly have an effect on prices.
## Energy giants join the mission
Macron will be accompanied by senior executives from TotalEnergies and Engie, France's two largest energy groups, to negotiate fuel supply deals.
## Beyond energy: defence and technology
Macron will seek to deepen partnerships in defence, technology, infrastructure and investment. A fifty billion euro data centre investment agreement with the UAE reflects growing AI cooperation.
## France bolsters Middle East military presence
France has stepped up its military presence in the Middle East this year, deploying the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, Rafale fighter jets, a frigate and air defence systems to protect French interests.
## Key takeaway

Emmanuel Macron travels to four Gulf states from October nineteenth to twenty-first to secure extra fuel supplies for France and strengthen economic and defence ties amid Middle East instability.