Riyadh: Bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic continue to witness robust growth and high-level strategic alignment on regional and international issues, anchored by a diplomatic friendship spanning a century since France appointed a consul to the Kingdom in 1926 and established its diplomatic mission in Jeddah in 1932.
According to Saudi Press Agency, high-level engagements historically accelerated following King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's landmark visit to Paris in 1967 and meeting with President Charles de Gaulle. Bilateral ties further deepened when Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, while serving as Governor of Riyadh in 1986, inaugurated the "Kingdom Between Yesterday and Today" exhibition in Paris alongside Jacques Chirac, followed by signing a cooperation and friendship charter between Riyadh and Paris with Mayor Jean Tiberi in 1997.
Ties gained transformative momentum with His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, visiting France in 2018, where 19 corporate agreements valued over $18 billion were signed. Subsequent engagements included receiving President Emmanuel Macron in Riyadh in December 2021, HRH the Crown Prince's visits to France in July 2022 and June 2023-during which he led the Kingdom's delegation at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact and Riyadh's official Expo 2030 reception-and culminating in the establishment of the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council co-chaired by HRH the Crown Prince and President Macron in Riyadh in December 2024.
Politically, both nations co-led international efforts advocating the two-state solution by co-chairing the International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine in New York in September 2025. Judicial cooperation between the two countries has significantly bolstered coordination mechanisms to combat transnational and international crime. Managed through an international cooperation prosecution office under the Public Prosecution, this collaboration encompasses exchanging information and evidence, activating mutual legal assistance, coordinating judicial investigations, pursuing internationally wanted individuals, and recovering illicit assets in line with national laws, international conventions, and the principle of reciprocity-thereby accelerating legal proceedings, sharing best practices, and reinforcing joint law enforcement efforts.
France also values Saudi Arabia's role as a reliable crude oil exporter, stabilizing global energy markets and reinforcing resilient international supply chains. Economic cooperation drove bilateral trade to $11.5 billion in 2025, supported by the Saudi-French Business Council, mutual delegations, and joint energy initiatives, including a 50/50 retail fuel venture between Saudi Aramco and Total that modernized over 55 service stations with 25 more under construction.
France ranks among the Kingdom's leading investors, with 650 French firms operating in Saudi Arabia and 39 establishing regional headquarters. Public and private partnerships also align with Saudi Vision 2030 and France's Agenda 2030 following the Saudi-French Investment Forum in December 2014.
In development and humanitarian fields, the Saudi Fund for Development and the French Development Agency partnered in April 2018 with a SAR460 million (pound 100 million) allocation for projects in Africa and the Sahel. Joint humanitarian assistance for Lebanon, carried out by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) in cooperation with the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the French Development Agency, reached $32,253,827 across seven projects, alongside $12,906,667 in Saudi scholarships supporting French students across 17 initiatives.
Cultural, tourism, and sports ties continue to flourish. In 2018, the Saudi-French Ministerial Committee was established to steer the development of AlUla into a premier global heritage destination. Tourism cooperation entered the executive phase in June 2026 through a joint action plan advancing talent development, sustainable tourism, and AI-driven travel technologies, building upon extensive sports and youth cooperation agreements signed in 1987, 2018, and 2020.
The state visit of HRH the Crown Prince to France at President Macron's invitation underscores the mutual appreciation between leaderships and aims to maximize shared strategic opportunities across investment, industry, clean energy, heritage, tourism, defense, space, and advanced technologies, reinforcing regional stability and global economic growth.