PARIS: Saudi Arabia´s crown prince kicks off his official visit to France Monday, part of an image-building global tour as he seeks to revitalise cultural and investment ties with Paris despite lurking tensions.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman dined with President Emmanuel Macron at Paris´s historic Louvre museum after flying in Sunday on his first trip to France as the heir to the Saudi throne.
Macron faces a diplomatic tightrope in talks with the reformist prince as he seeks to bolster ties with the world´s top crude exporter, while also managing relations with Iran.
A scheduled visit to the Paris-based start-up campus Station F along with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe was abruptly cancelled, but the two leaders are set to meet for lunch on Monday.
The 32-year-old prince, who spearheads the kingdom´s armed forces, is also set to meet French Defence Minister Florence Parly.
Campaigners are expected to mobilise to denounce French weapon exports to Saudi Arabia despite the kingdom´s role in the long-running war in Yemen.
The visit comes after a tumultuous period at home that saw a major military shake-up and a royal purge as the crown prince consolidates power to a degree well beyond that wielded by previous rulers.
The prince´s trip to France following a weeks-long tour of the United States, Britain and Egypt where he courted a host of business titans and several multimillion dollar deals.
Around 18 memorandums of understanding in energy, agriculture, tourism and culture are set to be signed at an official Saudi-France CEO Forum on Tuesday, a source close to the crown prince´s delegation told AFP.
A Franco-Saudi cooperation deal to develop Al Ula, a Saudi city richly endowed with archeological remnants, is also expected to be a central highlight of the visit.
The prince has used his global tour to project his reforms — including the historic lifting of a ban on women driving, cinemas and mixed-gender concerts — as part of his pledge to return the kingdom to moderate Islam.
Backed by high-power lobbying and public relations firms, the prince is seeking to rebrand Saudi Arabia as a modernist oasis.
