ABU DHABI, UAE / AsiaWire.IO / – UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Abu Dhabi on October 19 on expanding the strategic partnership between their countries. The meeting came during Macron’s official visit to the UAE. Discussions centred on the economy, investment, energy, advanced technology and artificial intelligence. Both sides linked the effort to a shared vision of development and prosperity for their peoples.
The two presidents reaffirmed their continued support for UAE-France cooperation across vital sectors. They also reviewed progress on joint projects in energy, advanced technology and artificial intelligence. Following the talks, Sheikh Mohamed hosted a banquet in honour of his French guest. Macron signed the VIP guestbook and expressed his pride in the steady development of relations between the two countries. He wished the partnership further growth in the years ahead.
Regional and international issues formed a major part of the discussions. The leaders reviewed developments in the Middle East and efforts to limit their impact on maritime security and global energy supplies. They stressed their shared determination to strengthen coordination to reinforce security, stability and peace across the region. Attacks on Gulf energy sites have curtailed oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, adding pressure on world energy markets.
Energy routes and maritime security top the agenda
Macron’s Gulf tour runs from October 19 to 21 and includes the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. According to an Élysée source, the trip seeks to promote a return to stability and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The French side also aims to secure and diversify energy supplies and transport routes. In April, France and the United Kingdom jointly proposed an international maritime coalition to defend ships in the strait.
Senior French business and government figures accompanied the president. The delegation included the chief executives of energy groups TotalEnergies and Engie, along with the head of Campus AI, a large technology complex being built near Paris with UAE financing. Ministers Catherine Vautrin, Jean-Noël Barrot and Roland Lescure, who hold the defence, foreign affairs and economy portfolios, also travelled with Macron. The Abu Dhabi programme included a UAE-France Business Dialogue.
Abu Dhabi leadership joins official reception
Sheikh Mohamed welcomed Macron with an official ceremony featuring an honour guard and military band. His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, attended the meeting and banquet. He was joined by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Advisor to the UAE President, and several ministers and officials were also present.
The talks add to a long record of high-level exchanges between the two leaders. Macron last met Sheikh Mohamed in Abu Dhabi in December 2025, when the pair visited the Zayed National Museum. He also attended COP28 in Dubai in 2023 and the 2017 opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. In July, Macron became the first major Western leader to visit Syria after its civil war. His Gulf tour concludes in Qatar on October 21.