Timeframe: When French President Giscard d’Estaing met Sheikh Zayed in Abu Dhabi in 1980

State visit sowed the seeds for a strong relationship between France and the UAE

UAE Founding Father the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing waving from a balcony in Abu Dhabi in 1980. Getty Images

On March 6, 1980, French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing arrived in Abu Dhabi to meet UAE Founding Father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The visit was a reciprocal one, following Sheikh Zayed's official visit to Paris in 1975.

The French president, who arrived with his wife Anne-Aymone Giscard d'Estaing and officials, was greeted at the airport by Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai at the time, and several Emirati ministers. They were then taken to one of the capital's hotels, where French residents of the UAE and their families had gathered to greet him.

Sheikh Zayed and Giscard d'Estaing also held private talks at Mushrif Palace. The French president's visit was part of a wider tour of the Gulf, and included visits to Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan, where talks centred on Franco-Arab relations in trade, oil and defence co-operation.

French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing visiting Abu Dhabi, where he was greeted by UAE Founding Father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in 1980. Courtesy: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Twitter

Giscard d'Estaing served as president of France from 1974 to 1981, and was succeeded by Francois Mitterrand. Before his presidency, he served as the minister of the economy and finance under Georges Pompidou.

He died in 2021 at the age of 94 after contracting Covid-19. His funeral was held in the “strictest family privacy, according to his wishes”, his foundation said.

Immediately following news of his death, President Sheikh Mohamed shared photos of the French president’s visit alongside a tribute message. “He was instrumental in establishing the strong ties between UAE and France in partnership with the late Sheikh Zayed. May he rest in peace,” Sheikh Mohamed said on X.

Giscard d'Estaing was instrumental in forming a unified Europe. The euro currency and the European Monetary System emerged from his working relationship with West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. He was also chairman of the Convention on the Future of Europe after his presidency.

His visit to Abu Dhabi laid the ground for a prosperous relationship between the UAE and France. Jacques Chirac, France's president from 1995 to 2007, also maintained a good relationship with Sheikh Zayed, receiving the Order of Zayed in 1997.

Current French President Emmanuel Macron has paid many visits to the UAE. His first was for the opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2017. The ceremony celebrated the completion of the museum 10 years after the signing of an agreement between the UAE and France to use the Louvre name.