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Macron hosts Saudi Crown Prince for visit ranging from esports to Middle East war
Several agreements on health, transport and energy will be signed on the second day of the visit on Monday, according to a French presidential official
- PUBLISHED: Sun 23 Aug 2026, 10:12 AM
- By:
- AFP
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday for a two-day visit set to range from esports to the war in the Middle East.
Several agreements on health, transport and energy will be signed on the second day of the visit on Monday, according to a French presidential official, underlining the strength of the Paris-Riyadh relationship.
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But the visit will kick off in a different style on Sunday evening from 1800 GMT with Macron hosting the Saudi Crown Prince — known as MBS — at the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup hosted by Paris.
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The event, which brings together the leading performers in esports ranging from computer games to chess and has been eagerly backed by MBS, is being held outside Saudi Arabia for the first time.
The French presidential official declined to comment on whether the agreements could touch on a vast theme park known as Dragons Ball, backed by a Saudi fund, which is mooted for the Val-d'Oise region outside Paris.
Saudi Arabia is also set to host a string of key global events, notably the Expo 2030 and above all the football World Cup in 2034.