ABU DHABI, Tuesday, October 20, 2026 — French President Emmanuel Macron landed in Abu Dhabi on Monday and sat down with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for talks that stretched from energy and maritime security to a landmark defence agreement on the Rafale F5 fighter-jet programme, as Paris races to secure fuel supplies amid a deepening cost-of-living crisis at home.
The official visit was the centerpiece of Macron’s three-day Gulf tour, which began in Kuwait earlier on Monday and will take him on to Bahrain and Qatar, state media reported.
Rafale F5 deal deepens defence ties
The two countries signed an intergovernmental agreement on the Dassault Rafale F5 programme, deepening defence cooperation between the French and Emirati Rafale programmes, according to reports in The National. The agreements also cover technical and financial terms for industrial cooperation on the future of combat aviation, and a framework for strategic defence autonomy that would reduce dependence on third countries, officials said.
UAE defence conglomerate Edge Group has played a key role in countering drone attacks during the recent conflict, underscoring the emirate’s growing strategic weight, analysts noted.
Diesel lifeline for fuel-starved France
Macron’s trip comes as France reels from surging fuel prices. Petroleum product prices in metropolitan France climbed 36.8 percent in September compared with a year earlier, according to national statistics agency INSEE, while violent protests over living costs swept French cities at the weekend, with thousands arrested. Authorities imposed curfews in central Paris and other parts of the country.
European diesel is now trading at almost $200 a barrel amid the war in Iran and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, up from about $80 at the start of 2026, trade sources said.
Gulf states have pledged to help. The UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will sell France the equivalent of about 10 percent of its diesel consumption, The National reported, in what amounts to a political win for the French president. The commitment in Saudi Arabia is to ensure supplies continue beyond November.
Energy, AI and maritime security
Beyond defence, the two sides signed agreements spanning energy, artificial intelligence and advanced technology. France’s AI start-up AMI Labs signed three agreements with UAE entities including G42 and MBZUAI on cloud computing, AI research and robotics, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.
“Key topics included developments in the Middle East and efforts to contain their repercussions on maritime security and global energy supplies,” state news agency WAM reported.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, said bilateral cooperation was essential “for ensuring reliable energy supplies and building resilience supply chains amid changes in the global economy.”
Macron reviewed the Emirati National Guard at Abu Dhabi Airport’s honour hall alongside Sheikh Mohamed before the two withdrew to the presidential palace, Le Monde reported. Ahead of the trip, Macron told the French nation in a televised address that he was flying to the Gulf to “secure our energy supplies,” noting that rising fuel prices “originate” in the Middle East conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran — “a conflict in which France did not take part, and for which we are suffering the consequences.”
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