Pragmatism without moral scruples, realpolitik, usually prevails on the international scene. One of the most striking examples is Mohamed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, a true strongman of the Wahhabi kingdom. Less than five years ago he became an outcast, a plague-stricken man, after the brutal murder and dismemberment of journalist and opposition figure Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Even the United States, the great protector of Riyadh for eighty years, pointed to Bin Salman as the instigator of the atrocious action at the diplomatic headquarters, a fact of unprecedented gravity.
The 37-year-old Saudi leader, known by the acronym MBS, arrived in Paris yesterday for an official visit that will last more than a week. He and his large entourage will have time for official commitments, including a working lunch with Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée tomorrow, and to enjoy all that the French capital has to offer guests who aren’t worried about bills. The super-luxury jewelry stores on Place Vendôme can rub your hands together.
The presence of Bin Salman in Paris is one more step towards his full rehabilitation – if not morally, then in diplomatic practice – a process that makes the NGOs that defend human rights desperate. But Saudi’s enormous economic potential is too tempting for Western democracies. They don’t want others with less prejudice, like China, to take the business. The French defense industry, for example, wants to coddle a big arms buyer, just as it does Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Paris also takes into account the investments of Saudi sovereign funds and the contracts of French companies in bin Salman’s pharaonic projects – such as the megacity Neom, in the desert, or tourist complexes on the Red Sea –, aimed at preparing the country for a future in which a drastic reduction in the use of hydrocarbons is expected. The French ambassador in Riyadh tweeted that the visit is “an opportunity to strengthen the strategic partnership between France and Saudi Arabia.”
Bin Salman was already in Paris in July of last year, a critical moment due to the war in Ukraine and the risk of an uncontrolled rise in the price of energy. This time, according to a note from the Elysee, Macron and his guest will talk about stability in the Middle East (especially the situation in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen) and the repercussions of the Ukrainian conflict. One of the objectives of Bin Salman’s visit is to attend, next week (June 22 and 23), the summit set up by Macron for a new world financial pact that relieves poor debtor countries, all within a framework accompanying the climate transition and protecting biodiversity.
During his days in Paris, Bin Salman will hold meetings and lobby to promote Riyadh’s bid for the 2030 World Expo. Hosting this event is part of a larger, long-term effort to achieve a dominant position for Saudi Arabia in the regional context. For this reason, the country also dreams of hosting the World Cup as soon as possible, as Qatar did, and that is why its clubs spend a fortune signing veteran stars, such as Cristiano Ronaldo or Karim Benzema.
In a more strictly geopolitical sphere, the Saudis have assumed a decisive role in reshaping their environment, with the rapprochement with Iran -with the mediation of China- and by recently organizing the Arab League summit in Jeddah, where another distinguished international pest, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The daily Le Monde, one of the outlets that devotes the most resources to international coverage and analysis, recently described the Saudis as “the masters of the game” in the Middle East, where they seek to establish “the peace of the autocrats.”
Except for a surprise, the French presidency only plans to accredit journalists, tomorrow, so that they can observe the arrival of Bin Salman, the honors and the greeting from Macron in the Elysée courtyard. No press conference is scheduled. Red carpet, yes, but no awkward questions.
