UAE inks energy deal with France as Macron hosts MBZ
France secured promises of new energy supplies from the United Arab Emirates on Monday after talks between President Emmanuel Macron and UAE leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Paris.
The UAE has emerged as a key partner for Western countries as they scramble for energy deals worldwide to replace imports from sanctions-hit Russia.
Sheikh Mohamed, also known as MBZ, was on his first overseas state visit since taking office in May following the death of his half-brother.
A deal between French energy giant Total Energies and UAE state oil company ADNOC was signed "for cooperation in the area of energy supplies".
"The UAE is keen to support energy security in the world in general and in France in particular," Sheikh Mohamed told Macron, according to Emirati state news agency WAM.
Before the trip, his diplomatic advisor Anwar Gargash had stressed how the UAE was looking to reorient its supplies towards Europe.
"We have sold our oil to the far east for 40 years and now we are directing it toward Europe in this time of crisis," he told reporters.
The UAE president's visit to France came after Joe Biden's first Middle East tour as president, which included a visit to Saudi Arabia for energy talks.
