The Elysee Palace announced this week that Macron will meet Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah shortly after landing in Kuwait on Oct. 19 as the first stop in visits that also include the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar. Discussions with the Amir are expected to cover bilateral cooperation in defense, infrastructure and health alongside the latest regional political and security developments. The French leader will be joined by senior executives from TotalEnergies and Engie to pursue commitments for extra volumes of diesel and oil that could help moderate fuel prices back home, according to a presidential adviser.[[1]](https://www.reuters.com/fr/actualites/macron-va-effectuer-une-tourne-dans-le-golfe-scurit-et-nergie-au-menu-2026-10-15/)
Kuwait’s role as a stable energy supplier has taken on added significance amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz that have rippled through global markets, the French presidency stated. The tour aims to promote a return to stability and free navigation in the waterway while identifying alternative routes for liquid hydrocarbons. Macron’s stop in Kuwait will also allow the two sides to review progress on existing partnerships that date back decades, building on a 1992 defense cooperation agreement that was reinforced in 2009 and supplemented by a 2022 accord permitting French forces to be stationed on Kuwaiti territory, the French foreign ministry noted.[[2]](http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/information-par-pays/koweit/relations-bilaterales)
Bilateral trade between the two countries reached nearly 2.8 billion euros in 2023, with French exports totaling 804 million euros across sectors such as mechanical equipment, electrical goods and technology, according to data from the French Treasury. Kuwait has become the third-largest client for French goods within the Gulf Cooperation Council, trailing only the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The same figures show French imports from Kuwait, overwhelmingly energy products, hit a record 2.08 billion euros that year, widening the trade deficit but underscoring the strategic value of the relationship.[[3]](https://www.tresor.economie.gouv.fr/Pays/KW/relations-bilaterales)
France maintains a visible commercial presence in Kuwait with 39 companies operating locally, among them Engie, Schneider Electric and Thales, which together generate revenues of about 585 million euros and employ more than 2,100 people, the French embassy in Kuwait reported. These firms span sectors from energy and transport to consulting and water services, reflecting deepening economic interdependence. Kuwaiti direct investment in France stood at 1.2 billion euros in 2023, positioning the country as a notable investor from the Middle East and North Africa region, French economic statistics indicate.[[4]](https://kw.diplomatie.gouv.fr/ar/allaqat-alaqtsadyt)
The visit occurs against a backdrop of long-standing military ties that have seen more than 500 Kuwaiti cadets trained in France since the 1990s and major equipment deals such as the 2016 purchase of 30 Caracal helicopters and 2018 acquisition of 300 Sherpa vehicles. A high-level Franco-Kuwaiti defense committee meets every 18 months to coordinate joint activities, including recent combined exercises and information-sharing protocols signed in 2025, the French foreign ministry added. Roughly 850 French nationals live in Kuwait while about 650 Kuwaitis reside in France, according to consular figures that highlight the human dimension of the partnership.[[2]](http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/information-par-pays/koweit/relations-bilaterales)
Following the Kuwait leg, Macron will hold talks in the UAE on defense, security, new technologies and artificial intelligence before proceeding to Bahrain for discussions on economic and defense ties and concluding in Qatar with meetings on economic cooperation, defense and regional issues that may include a climate event. The packed schedule reflects France’s determination to reinforce strategic footholds across the Gulf at a time of heightened energy market volatility, Elysee officials said. Kuwait News Agency first carried details of the Kuwait stop, confirming the official delegation and the focus on talks with the Amir.
