French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Kuwait on Monday as part of a Gulf tour that will also take him to the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar.
He was received by Sheikh Meshal, the Emir of Kuwait, at the international airport in Kuwait City.
Mr Macron is expected in the UAE later this afternoon.
He plans to discuss the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and its effects on energy prices during his Gulf visit, which will run from October 19 to 21, his office said.
The visit comes despite France's worst civil unrest in years, with more than 2,000 people arrested for torching and ransacking property.
The four Gulf countries have all had energy sites attacked during the US-Iran war, which has also curtailed oil exports through the strait. With Yemen's Houthi rebels now pushing for control of a second strait, the Bab Al Mandeb, there are fears that the global energy crunch could worsen.
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Sheikh Meshal, Emir of Kuwait, welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron at Kuwait International Airport. Reuters -
Sheikh Meshal, Emir of Kuwait, welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron at Kuwait International Airport. Reuters -
The French leader arrived in Kuwait as part of a Gulf tour. Reuters -
A welcoming ceremony for Mr Macron. Reuters -
Discussions were expected to focus on securing and diversifying our energy supplies. Reuters -
Sheikh Meshal and Mr Macron witness the signing of an agreement at Bayan Palace, in Kuwait City. Reuters
“In light of the crisis gripping the Middle East, the President will continue his efforts with regional leaders to promote a return to stability and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” an Elysee Palace source said.
“Discussions will also focus on securing and diversifying our energy supplies and their transport routes, with the aim of limiting the impact of the energy crisis on the daily lives of French people.”
The source said Mr Macron's talks in the UAE would address defence, security and new technologies such as AI. He is also expected to attend a climate event in Qatar and discuss economic relations with Gulf countries.
Mr Macron has made several trips to the UAE as President. Last December he met President Sheikh Mohamed at the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi and spoke to French troops based in the country.
Earlier visits included his attendance at the Cop28 climate summit, which took place in Dubai in 2023, and a trip in 2017 to the opening ceremony of Louvre Abu Dhabi.
On Mr Macron's most recent Middle East trip, he visited Damascus in July in what was the first appearance in post-civil war Syria by a major western leader.
Mr Macron's second term ends next year and he is ineligible under the French constitution to run for a third.
