In the United Arab Emirates, world leaders follow one another to pay tribute to President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan who died last Friday at the age of 73. Emmanuel Macron is one of them. His trip to Abu Dhabi, this May 15, 2022, prompted Jean Castex, the Prime Minister, to cancel his at the Vatican. Proof of the strategic role of the Emirates for the French president.
With our correspondent in Dubai, Nicolas Keraudren
He is the first Western leader to travel to Abu Dhabi to ” extend its sincere condolences to the people of the Emirates “. This Sunday morning, Emmanuel Macron spoke with his counterpart Mohamed ben Zayed. Also nicknamed “MBZ”, the new president of this federation made up of seven emirates succeeds his brother, Sheikh Khalifa ben Zayed Al-Nahyan, whose death was announced on Friday.
This visit to the capital of the Emirates testifies to the very close ties between Paris and the Gulf monarchy and also between the two leaders. Under the first five-year term of the French president, Abu Dhabi has become France’s strategic ally in this region. Especially on the cultural and educational aspects. But also and above all on the military-industrial level since France has a naval air base in this country.
Last December, Emmanuel Macron had also already visited the Emirates. During this visit, the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault signed the largest military contract in its history. Nearly 80 Rafale fighter jets had been sold to the Emirates for the record sum of 16 billion euros.