France hosts reformist Saudi crown prince on global tour

Saudi Arabia's crown prince arrived in France today for the next leg of a global tour aimed at reshaping his kingdoms austere image as he pursues his drive to reform the conservative petrostate.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman will hold meetings with President Emmanuel Macron during his two-day official visit starting tomorrow - his first trip to France as the heir to the Saudi throne.

Macron will walk a diplomatic tightrope with the young prince in talks set to focus on cultural ties and investments but also the war in Yemen, dubbed the worlds worst humanitarian crisis, and the kingdoms arch-nemesis Iran.

The 32-year-old prince, widely known as MBS, was received at the Bourget airport near Paris on Sunday morning by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

The trip follows a coast-to-coast tour of the United States as well as visits to Britain and Egypt, where the prince courted a host of business tycoons and struck multimillion-dollar deals from defence to entertainment.

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 princes 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 source added.

Aside from meetings with the French president, prime minister and trade officials, the prince is also considering a visit to the Paris-based tech start-up campus Station F, the Arab World Institute and a concert in the southern city of Aix-en-Provence, the source said.

"This is not a traditional state visit," another source close to the Saudi delegation told AFP, without revealing the time of his arrival today.

"It is about forging a new partnership with France, not just shopping for deals."
"The leadership of both countries share much in common. They are both young, visionary and ambitious."