French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot toured the Gulf on April 30 and May 1, 2026. He visited Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, with the Qatar stop cancelled. France aims to leverage the Gulf monarchies' rift with Washington to strengthen its positions.
Jean-Noël Barrot, Foreign Minister, visited Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday and Friday. The Qatari leg was cancelled due to a personal issue of his counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed al-Thani.
The oil monarchies, upset with Donald Trump for not warning them before launching war with Israel against Iran on February 28, are grateful to France. Paris helped them from the first day of the conflict to intercept Iranian drones and missiles targeting them, according to Georges Malbrunot, special envoy in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Muscat.
The tour comes as statements from Iran and the United States raise the threat of war resuming. France hopes to capitalize on this rift with Washington to bolster its standing in these monarchies, the initial targets of Iranian strikes.
