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For his first stop in the Middle East, Emmanuel Macron signed a 16 billion euro contract with the United Arab Emirates on Friday, December 3. After a visit to Qatar, he will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Ben Salman on Saturday, December 4.
The order is historic: 80 Rafale planes for 16 billion euros, bought by the United Arab Emirates from France. Proud of this contract, Emmanuel Macron continues his tour of the Middle East. After Qatar, he will travel to Saudi Arabia on Saturday, December 4, and his meeting with the crown prince is already causing controversy: Mohamed Ben Salman is accused by the CIA of being involved in the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
“We were shocked that France is today the actor of the enhancement of Saudi Arabia on the international scene”, comments Antoine Madelin, director of advocacy “International Federation for Human Rights”. Faced with these criticisms, Emmanuel Macron assures his choice to meet the leader by advancing the argument of economic ties, which he wishes to preserve: “It does not mean that I endorse, that I forget, that we are not demanding partners. It means that we are a great nation which must work in the concert of nations”.