In brief
- Emmanuel Macron received the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia for a two-day official visit by Mohammed ben Salman to Paris.
- A major agreement provides for the creation of three theme parks for an investment of 6 billion euros.
- The partnership will create more than 22,000 direct and indirect jobs.
- The French capital hosted the closing of the Esports World Cup, relocated for the first time outside the peninsula.
This joint announcement marks a major milestone for the French economy, particularly for the construction, public works, engineering and services sectors. The creation of more than 22,000 direct and indirect jobs testifies to the unprecedented scale of this project, the benefits of which will sustainably support local and regional economies. Mobilising such a workforce requires establishing strong synergies between construction companies, architectural firms and tourism stakeholders to design innovative infrastructure.
In parallel, the choice of Paris to close the Esports World Cup highlights France’s expertise in hosting leading technological events. By relocating this event outside Saudi territory for the first time, the organisers have validated the attractiveness of the French model, which is capable of uniting the ecosystems of video games, sporting events and digital innovation at the heart of the same international dynamic.
La visite officielle de Mohammed ben Salman, Prince héritier et Premier ministre d’Arabie saoudite, s’est déroulée à Paris les dimanche 23 et lundi 24 août 2026 sous le sceau d’une coopération économique et stratégique sans précédent. Reçu au Palais de l’Élysée par le président Emmanuel Macron, le dirigeant saoudien a scellé une alliance d’envergure qui s’inscrit dans la continuité du déplacement présidentiel français de décembre 2024. Ce sommet diplomatique de premier ordre dessine les contours d’une relation bilatérale hautement fructueuse, associant diplomatie d’influence, divertissement d’envergure et grands équilibres géopolitiques.
This visit is part of regular diplomatic relations and an in-depth dialogue between Paris and Riyadh. Both leaders are striving to deepen the bonds of trust uniting France and the Kingdom, thereby facilitating the signing of state-to-state agreements as well as commercial contracts of strategic importance. This summit reaffirms France’s role as a privileged interlocutor for the major Gulf powers, while highlighting the importance of Saudi Arabia as a leading economic partner in Europe.
The official visit of Mohammed ben Salman to Paris
During these two intense days, the ministerial delegations of both countries held numerous working sessions and sector-specific meetings. This Parisian visit by the Crown Prince reflects the importance the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia places on its relationship with France, which is perceived as an essential partner in Europe for its investments and development projects. The bilateral discussions provided an opportunity to review ongoing collaborations and lay the groundwork for future structuring projects for both nations.
The welcome extended to the Saudi delegation illustrates the splendour and rigour of republican protocol during high-level visits. The talks at the Palais de l’Élysée also brought together representatives from major economic sectors, creating a space for dialogue conducive to strengthening trade. These meetings underscore the shared desire to establish bilateral cooperation over the long term, marked by trust and reciprocal investments.
A strengthened diplomatic dialogue at the summit
Political dialogue between Paris and Riyadh reached a new historic milestone during these two days of bilateral meetings. On this occasion, the President of the Republic and the Crown Prince held the first meeting of the Franco-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council. This new governance body reflects the vitality of political exchanges and helps institutionalise a partnership geared towards long-term cooperation in key sectors for both nations.
The creation of this Franco-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council constitutes a notable political step forward, offering an official and permanent structure for monitoring matters of common interest. This mechanism ensures better coordination between the ministries concerned, whether in foreign affairs, economy or culture. Thanks to this regular framework, both nations now have an effective consultation tool to steer the operational implementation of the signed agreements and anticipate the common challenges of the global economy.
This reinforced consultation mechanism illustrates the alignment of both countries on the need to diversify and modernise their respective economies in the face of the challenges of technological and environmental transition. By structuring their cooperation in this way, France and Saudi Arabia ensure increased responsiveness to successfully carry out complex projects, guaranteeing that commitments made at the highest level of state translate into concrete and beneficial achievements for their populations.
Economic diversification and the Vision 2030 ambition
At the heart of the bilateral discussions is the major Saudi national programme, Vision 2030. Driven by the Crown Prince, this ambitious plan aims to transform the Kingdom’s economy by reducing its historical dependence on hydrocarbon exports. To achieve this goal, Riyadh is investing heavily in future sectors such as sustainable tourism, culture, renewable energy and mass entertainment, opening up ideal collaboration opportunities for French industrial flagships.
France, with its rich cultural heritage, expertise in managing global tourist destinations and capacity for innovation, stands out as a natural partner to support these reforms. Saudi investments in France, combined with the export of French technical expertise to the Arabian Peninsula, illustrate this logic of commercial reciprocity that fuels the growth dynamics of both countries.
Three theme parks and billions in investments
The project to build three international-scale theme parks represents the highlight of this economic agreement. The realisation of this infrastructure requires the excellence of French skills in cultural engineering, leisure space design and the integration of immersive technologies. These next-generation entertainment centres are designed to offer first-class interactive experiences, meeting the expectations of a demanding global clientele.
These parks will also rely on high standards of sustainable development, eco-design and responsible resource management, areas in which French companies possess recognised leadership. By integrating these requirements from the design phase, these future theme parks aim to become global benchmarks for the future of the family entertainment and leisure tourism industry.
Large-scale economic and cultural investments
The economic aspect of this meeting resulted in announcements of historic proportions for the tourism and leisure sector. The two delegations officialised the launch of three future world-class theme parks, backed by a colossal investment of 6 billion euros, creating 22,000 jobs. This cultural and recreational infrastructure project illustrates France’s economic attractiveness and fits harmoniously into the diversification ambitions of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan.
This historic agreement consecrates the expansion of Franco-Saudi economic relations towards creative industries and mass entertainment, which are now asserting themselves as major growth drivers. This partnership reflects a mutual desire not to limit commercial relations to the traditional sectors of energy and defence, but to build a modern alliance focused on soft power, technology and the creation of skilled jobs.
- Framework of the agreement: Franco-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council
- Total amount invested: 6 billion euros
- Jobs generated: 22,000 new positions
The contribution of a 6 billion euro investment represents a strong signal of the confidence placed by Saudi financial decision-makers in France’s economic strength. These major financial flows will help support the network of national subcontracting companies, from technical design offices to SMEs in the finishing works sector, thereby contributing to consolidating national economic growth.
The prospect of creating 22,000 positions constitutes an outstanding professional integration opportunity for the host regions. It will foster the emergence of specialised training courses in hospitality, entertainment, technological maintenance and the management of complex leisure parks, ensuring the sustainability and quality of the jobs created.
- Major infrastructure: 3 international-scale theme parks
- Event: First relocation of the Esports World Cup
The concerted development of these three international-scale theme parks will be accompanied by rigorous transport infrastructure and spatial planning to absorb the expected influx of national and international visitors. These projects are part of a global modernisation of the French tourism sector, aiming to enrich the high-end leisure offering on the European continent.
At the same time, the relocation of the Esports World Cup closing ceremony to Paris embodies the fruitful alliance between traditional physical entertainment and the new competitive disciplines of the digital world. This event brought together the best competitors on the international esports scene, reinforcing France’s leading role in the digital innovation sector applied to mainstream entertainment.
Global esports takes centre stage in the capital
On Sunday 23 August 2026, the two leaders also attended the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup together. Organised outside Saudi Arabia for the first time since its inception, hosting this major international competition in Paris confirms the French capital’s status as a stronghold for sport and digital entertainment. This world-class event highlights the convergence of interests between the two powers in the development of creative and technological industries.
The presence of Emmanuel Macron and Mohammed ben Salman at this final demonstrates the highly strategic dimension accorded to the video game and esports industry by both governments. The esports sector, which is experiencing exponential growth worldwide, represents a major crossroads for the development of new telecommunication technologies, artificial intelligence applied to entertainment and audiovisual content production.
By hosting this major event, Paris strengthens its position as the nerve centre of digital culture in Europe. This dynamic helps attract technological investments and encourages the development of schools, creative studios and broadcasting platforms in France, thereby consolidating a high-performing national digital ecosystem that creates value.
Strategic stakes for the stability of the Middle East
Political exchanges during this summit also focused on security and peace issues in the Middle East. France and Saudi Arabia share a primary strategic interest in regional stability, an essential condition for economic development, the security of global energy flows and the fluidity of maritime trade routes. In the face of complex geopolitical dynamics, reinforced cooperation is essential to foster diplomatic dialogue.
Riyadh’s major role within global governance institutions, notably the G20, makes it a key partner for France in implementing sustainable diplomatic solutions. The discussions in Paris provided an opportunity to compare strategic analyses and encourage coordinated multilateral initiatives aimed at supporting the de-escalation of regional tensions and consolidating peace processes.
Crucial geopolitical stakes for the Middle East
Beyond industrial and recreational projects, the discussions at the Élysée provided an opportunity to address hot topics on the international geopolitical scene. The two heads of state held in-depth discussions on major regional issues, insisting on the need for close coordination between France and its Gulf partners to preserve peace. In the face of current tensions in the Near and Middle East, this regular consultation is an essential pillar for collective security and global economic stability.
This in-depth dialogue between Paris and Riyadh goes beyond simple influence diplomacy to realise major economic and technological partnerships. This strategic alliance translates concretely into a major development project supported by an investment of 6 billion euros.
