French President Macron to tour UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar for Hormuz crisis talks

French President Emmanuel Macron will visit the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar from October 19 to 21, 2026, to discuss the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on energy prices and security, the Elysee Palace announced on October 14. The three-day Gulf tour will focus on promoting a return to stability and freedom of navigation in the strait, securing and diversifying energy supplies and their transport routes, and limiting the impact of the energy crisis on French households and businesses.

Talks in the UAE will cover defence, security and new technologies including artificial intelligence, while Macron is expected to attend a climate event in Qatar. The visit comes as the US-Iran war that began February 28 has prompted Iranian retaliatory attacks on energy sites across all four Gulf nations, disrupting oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, with Houthi rebels having seized control of the Bab al Mandeb strait in September, raising fears of a deepening global energy crisis. A Reuters investigation published October 15 documented 135 Iranian attacks on 84 infrastructure sites across Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Kuwait since the war began. France has extensive commercial interests across the Gulf, including in energy, transport, infrastructure, defence and technology, with Kuwait, the UAE and Qatar serving as major oil or gas producers critical to European energy security amid ongoing regional conflict.

Sources

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