France has secured an additional 200,000 tonnes of diesel a month from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain during President Emmanuel Macron’s tour of the Gulf, the French presidency said on Tuesday, according to Agence France-Presse.
The UAE committed to around 100,000 tonnes a month, the Elysee Palace said. A further 100,000 tonnes a month is due to be secured during Macron’s stop in Bahrain later on Tuesday.
Including deliveries from Saudi Arabia, France now has commitments of 295,000 tonnes of diesel a month, just over 10% of its consumption, the presidency said.
France had earlier obtained guarantees from Saudi Arabia to sell 95,000 tonnes of diesel in each of October and November, or 190,000 tonnes over the two months, The National reported, citing Elysee sources.
The sales will go through TotalEnergies, whose chief executive, Patrick Pouyanné, is accompanying Macron on the tour, the newspaper said.
The aim is to bring down fuel prices that have fueled protests in France. “The greater the quantity, the lower the price. It’s quite simple,” an adviser to Macron said, according to The National.
Macron began the tour on Monday with visits to Kuwait and the UAE. He is also due to visit Qatar.
In Abu Dhabi on Monday, ADNOC Refining signed two contracts with France’s Technip Energies, and ADNOC Gas signed a preliminary agreement with Schneider Electric to assess technologies for improving the efficiency of its energy systems.
