Macron Launches Gulf Tour to Secure Oil Supplies Amid French Unrest

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French President Emmanuel Macron began a diplomatic tour of the Gulf on Monday, October 19, seeking to strengthen France’s energy security as rising fuel costs and violent unrest at home put pressure on his government. The visit, which includes Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar, comes amid an eight-month conflict involving the United States and Iran that has disrupted critical energy supply routes across the region.

Macron arrived in Kuwait, an OPEC member, where he was received by Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The French president is scheduled to meet other Gulf leaders before concluding his regional tour on Wednesday.

According to the French presidency, a central objective of the trip is to obtain concrete commitments on oil and diesel supply volumes. Paris also intends to deepen economic and defense cooperation with its Gulf partners as uncertainty over regional security continues to affect international energy markets.

Fuel Prices Put Pressure on Paris

The diplomatic initiative comes at a difficult moment for Macron domestically. France has experienced a wave of violent protests linked to the rising cost of living, with fuel prices among the concerns raised by demonstrators.

More than 2,500 people were arrested during unrest that saw town halls and commercial premises looted or set on fire, according to the information provided. The scale of the violence prompted Macron to acknowledge shortcomings in security and intelligence operations. However, he declined to accept the resignation of his interior minister.

In an address on Sunday evening, the president condemned what he described as uncontrolled violence. Before departing for Kuwait, he nevertheless emphasized the need to protect France’s energy supplies, connecting the diplomatic mission to the economic concerns expressed during the demonstrations.

The government’s challenge is twofold: limit the effects of international energy disruptions while responding to domestic dissatisfaction over the cost of everyday life.

The Strait of Hormuz at the Center of Energy Concerns

The conflict involving Washington and Tehran has placed the Strait of Hormuz at the heart of global energy concerns. The narrow waterway serves as a major export corridor for oil and other energy products from Gulf producers. Its disruption has constrained shipments and contributed to a sharp increase in crude prices.

Security risks have also spread beyond the strait. Yemen’s Houthi movement has attacked Saudi-linked maritime and energy interests in the Red Sea, adding another layer of uncertainty to regional shipping. Attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure and Riyadh’s international airport have further heightened security concerns.

Against this backdrop, Macron intends to discuss ways of protecting maritime transport and developing alternative routes for energy exports. The talks are expected to involve Gulf leaders, including the president of the United Arab Emirates and the emir of Qatar.

France is also working with the United Kingdom on an international initiative intended to help restore safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The proposed mission would focus primarily on mine clearance once Washington and Tehran reach an agreement concerning the waterway. However, the two sides remain deadlocked, leaving the prospects for a lasting maritime security arrangement uncertain.

French Energy Companies Join the Diplomatic Mission

Macron’s delegation includes senior executives from TotalEnergies and Engie, France’s two major energy groups. Their participation underscores the commercial dimension of the visit, which seeks to translate diplomatic engagement into more reliable access to energy supplies.

The tour also follows an early-October agreement among the G7 countries, chaired by France this year, to release up to 100 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves. The measure was intended to ease market pressure as the conflict continued to disrupt supplies.

Securing additional volumes from Gulf producers could offer France another means of managing exposure to international price fluctuations. However, the impact of any commitments will depend on available production, transport conditions and the evolution of the conflict.

Defense Cooperation Remains a Priority

Energy security is only one component of the discussions. Macron is also seeking to reinforce defense partnerships with Gulf countries that have faced repeated missile and drone attacks attributed to Iran during the conflict.

France has expanded its military presence in the region, deploying the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, Rafale fighter jets, a frigate and air-defense capabilities during the spring. French troops have also been sent to protect Yanbu, a Saudi Arabian oil terminal on the Red Sea that has become an important alternative outlet for energy exports.

These deployments reflect Paris’s interest in protecting strategic infrastructure and maintaining the security of maritime routes that are essential to international trade.

For France, the Gulf tour therefore brings together immediate economic concerns and longer-term strategic interests. The government is seeking to secure fuel supplies at a time of domestic unrest while working with regional partners to reduce the risks posed by an increasingly unstable security environment.

The effectiveness of the initiative will ultimately depend on whether diplomatic discussions produce firm supply commitments and whether the conflict allows energy shipments to resume under more predictable conditions.