Emmanuel Macron welcomes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for two-day Paris visit
Talks will cover major deals, esports and regional stability in the Middle East
Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday for a two-day visit set to range from esports to the war in the Middle East.
Several agreements on health, transport and energy will be signed on the second day of the visit on Monday, according to a French presidential official, underlining the strength of the Paris-Riyadh relationship.
But the visit will kick off in a different style on Sunday evening from 1800 GMT with Macron hosting the Saudi strongman -- known as MBS -- at the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup hosted by Paris.
The event, which brings together the leading performers in esports ranging from computer games to chess and has been eagerly backed by MBS, is being held outside Saudi Arabia for the first time.
The French presidential official declined to comment on whether the agreements could touch on a vast theme park known as Dragons Ball, backed by a Saudi fund, which is mooted for the Val-d'Oise region outside Paris.
Saudi Arabia is also set to host a string of key global events, notably the Expo 2030 and above all the football World Cup in 2034.
On Monday afternoon, MBS and Macron are to chair the first meeting of the Saudi-French strategic partnership council.
Macron and MBS "will discuss key regional issues, in a context calling for close coordination between France and its Gulf partners to foster stability and peace" in the Middle East, according to Macron's office.
