France's Macron secures gas from Qatar during Gulf trip

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that he had secured gas supply guarantees from Qatar during his Gulf tour, as he seeks to stabilise energy prices in his country after violent protests sparked by the rising cost of living.

"We secured during the winter period the equivalent of two terawatt-hours per month of LNG, which was important for us and which will allow us to move forward," he told reporters in Doha.

Qatar was the last stop of Mr Macron's three-day Gulf tour, as France looks to strengthen ties with regional partners amid heightened tension and concerns over energy security.

France is bracing for renewed protests on Saturday, after a weekend of demonstrations that descended into rioting and looting. Authorities have introduced curfews in response to the unrest.

Mr Macron met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim on Tuesday at Lusail Palace. They spoke about bilateral relations, as well as ways to strengthen and develop ties across various fields, particularly the economic, investment, security and defence sectors, the state-run Qatar News Agency reported.

Doha is the final stop on Mr Macron’s three-day tour, which also took him to Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain, as he seeks to reinforce France’s strategic partnerships across the Gulf.

Qatar, one of the world’s leading liquefied natural gas exporters, has extensive energy and investment ties with France. French energy company TotalEnergies is a partner in Qatar’s North Field East LNG expansion project, one of the world’s largest gas developments.

Show caption: Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bi…

Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz after US-Israeli strikes began in February sparked a major disruption to global energy supplies, sending oil prices higher and intensifying inflationary pressures.

With Saudi Arabia diverting oil exports to Red Sea ports to bypass Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy shipments, Houthi threats to shipping through the Bab El Mandeb strait have opened a second potential chokepoint, further jeopardising energy flows and adding to economic pressures in Europe.

The Iran-aligned Houthi rebels are fighting against Yemen’s internationally recognised government and its Saudi-led allies. This month, they carried out attacks on Riyadh’s main airport, killing 17 people, injuring more than 300 and forcing a complete shutdown of operations. There have been 20 strikes on the airport since the start of October.

Responding to a question from The National, Mr Macron said talks with the Houthis should resume for tension to ease. He added that French personnel and capabilities had been sent to support the kingdom. "We stand alongside Saudi Arabia in ensuring its security and defence," said Mr Macron.

“We have offered to help rehabilitate the site and, above all, secure it,” he said, referring to Saudi Arabia’s oil pipeline linking the Arabian Gulf to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. “For the past eight days, we have had personnel and capabilities deployed there,” he added.

Mr Macron said France had maintained contact with Washington and Tehran, urged calm and de-escalation, and put forward proposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz through international and Omani waters.

“Our proposal remains on the table. It is still valid, and we discussed it at length,” he said.

"We discussed the details and developments extensively, and I think the coming hours and days will allow us to receive a response, particularly from Iran. It is on the basis of that response that we will be able to assess the situation," he added.

Gulf diesel supplies

Before arriving in Qatar, Mr Macron visited Bahrain, where he met King Hamad. Their discussions focused on bilateral relations, energy security and regional developments.

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Macron continues Gulf tour with stops in Bahrain and Qatar

France has secured commitments from Bahrain and the UAE to each supply an additional 100,000 tonnes of diesel a month. Together with additional supplies from Saudi Arabia, the commitments amount to about 295,000 tonnes a month, equivalent to slightly more than 10 per cent of France’s usual diesel consumption.

Rising diesel prices have added to the cost-of-living pressures facing households in France and elsewhere. The International Energy Agency earlier this month urged member countries to accelerate pledged diesel releases and consider supplying additional volumes as global markets tightened.

European diesel is trading at almost $200 a barrel amid the Iran war and Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries.

In Abu Dhabi, Mr Macron met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed. The two countries exchanged a strategic defence partnership framework and signed agreements covering energy, artificial intelligence and advanced technology.

Show caption: UAE President Sheikh Mohamed with French President Emmanuel …

Defence co-operation featured prominently in the visit, with France and the UAE signing an intergovernmental agreement on co-operation on the Dassault Rafale F5 standard within their respective Rafale programmes, reflecting efforts to deepen military ties amid geopolitical uncertainty stemming from the regional war.

Mr Macron began his tour in Kuwait on Monday, where agreements, memorandums of understanding and declarations of intent covering defence, civil aviation, artificial intelligence, investment, health and academic co-operation were signed.

He called for the protection of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for international energy trade.