Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will discuss the war in Ukraine and other international challenges with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday.
The two leaders will speak about the consequences of the conflict for the rest of the world, as well as bilateral relations and “regional stability issues”, a source in the French presidency told The National.
“The President of the French Republic will have a working lunch with Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on Friday June 16, 2023, at the Elysee Palace, as part of his official visit to France,” the source said.
Prince Mohammed began an official visit to France on Wednesday, where he met various French leaders to also discuss the kingdom's bid to host the World Expo 2030.
The meeting in the French capital follows the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Saudi Arabia last month to attend an Arab League summit.
Mr Zelenskyy called for support and Prince Mohammed expressed his readiness to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv.
Prince Mohammed is also heading a delegation that will take part in a global financial summit in Paris on June 22 and June 23.
Mr Macron and Prince Mohammed's discussions will "prepare the ground for the summit that aims to bring together private and public funding where the planet and the populations need it most, whether to fight poverty, drive the necessary climate transition or protect biodiversity", the French presidency source said.
Saudi Arabia announced its bid to host the Expo in October 2021 and has since made three presentations to the Bureau International des Expositions.
In March, a BIE delegation arrived in Riyadh for a six-day evaluation of Riyadh's candidacy.
The mission's visit is mandatory for a country to be considered as host. Its task is to assess the feasibility and viability of each candidate city.
The next host city will be elected via secret ballot, based on the principle of one country, one vote, at the BIE's 173rd general assembly in November.
Relations between Saudi Arabia and France are strong, with cultural ties deepened by Paris's involvement in the development of the kingdom's historic AlUla region.
Prince Mohammed intends to turn AlUla into a global tourism destination.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Top 10 in the F1 drivers' standings
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 202 points
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 188
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 169
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 117
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 116
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 67
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 56
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 45
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 35
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 26
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
