Gulf states commit diesel shipments to France amid energy price crisis

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have agreed to supply France with diesel equivalent to ten percent of its national consumption over the coming weeks, according to sources in the French presidency. The initiative is intended to lower energy costs in Europe, where rising prices have triggered protests and public discontent in France.

“The greater the quantity, the lower the price. It’s quite simple,” an adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron said. A significant portion of the deal was secured by Macron during a tour of the Gulf that began on Monday with visits to Kuwait and the UAE. He is also scheduled to travel to Bahrain and Qatar.

Diesel supply commitments

France had previously obtained guarantees from Saudi Arabia for the sale of 95,000 tonnes of diesel in October and November, bringing the total to 190,000 tonnes over two months. In addition, the UAE and Bahrain are expected to separately sell 100,000 tonnes of diesel to France in the coming weeks, though the duration of those deliveries has not been specified.

“These are political commitments obtained from countries in the region because they know us and they know we are reliable – because we have been there during every critical moment, notably by deploying air defence capabilities,” the adviser said.

The sales will be conducted through French energy company TotalEnergies, whose chief executive, Patrick Pouyanne, has accompanied Macron on his Gulf tour.

UAE-France technology and energy agreements

During the visit, the UAE and France signed preliminary agreements in energy, artificial intelligence and advanced technology, aimed at strengthening investment and economic ties. The deals were signed in the presence of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Macron in the UAE capital.

Three agreements focused on AI and advanced technology were signed with French start-up AMI Labs to enhance research and technological cooperation and explore new applications across multiple fields, the Abu Dhabi Media Office reported. The pacts involve Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Abu Dhabi’s G42, and computing company Analog.

MBZUAE will concentrate on strengthening cooperation with AMI Labs in AI research and development, while G42 aims to establish a framework for strategic cooperation in cloud computing infrastructure and AI models. Analog’s deal with AMI Labs relates to exploring opportunities to integrate AI models into robotics and physical AI applications, opening new avenues for developing intelligent systems and expanding their use in industrial and technology sectors.

Energy sector cooperation

The UAE and France also agreed to boost cooperation in the energy sector. Adnoc Gas and Schneider Electric signed an initial pact to assess advanced technology and opportunities for operational improvements to enhance efficiency and improve the performance of energy systems. Adnoc Refining and Technip Energies signed two contracts related to a refining capacity enhancement project and a sustainable aviation fuel project.

“These agreements demonstrate both countries’ commitment to broadening economic and investment cooperation, strengthening integration between their industrial, technological and research capabilities, and opening new avenues for public-private partnerships to support the development of innovative and sustainable solutions in shared priority sectors,” the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.