By Fariha Eshrat
What country do you want to visit? One of the most popular answers is France. And why not? The cities of this European country are known tourist destinations: the ever fashionable and romantic Paris (and the Eiffel Tower of course), the beautiful French Riviera, the stunning French Alps, and the breathtaking castles of Brittany. France is truly a history, culture, food, and fashion hot spot.
The French-Saudi bilateral relations are bound by historic ties, with the first French Consulate opening in Jeddah back in 1839. The relations were developed further through a series of agreements, notable amongst which are the Friendship Treaty signed by the two countries in 1931 and the cultural and technical cooperation agreement made in 1963. Another founding moment in the French-Saudi relations is marked by the historic meeting between the President of the French Republic General Charles de Gaulle and King Faisal of Saudi Arabia in Paris in 1967. The French Embassy in Riyadh celebrated the 50th anniversary of this memorable meeting at the King Faisal Foundation last year.
Bilateral Relations
The current relationship between France and Saudi Arabia is based on common strategic goals: building a strong economic partnership, providing collective security to the region, supporting each other in their common fight against terrorism, and seeking convergence of views on major regional and international issues. Frequent official bilateral meetings bear witness of the strength of the strategic partnership between France and Saudi Arabia and allow them to deepen the bilateral dialogue. Members of the French Parliament and Majlis al-Shoura have developed their relations through the common French-Saudi friendship group.
There are also frequent visits made by the heads of states of these two countries to reflect the strong French-Saudi ties. In June 2016, the then Deputy Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, made his latest visit to Paris and in November 2017, the current French President, Emanuel Macron, made his first visit to Riyadh. France is now pleased to be preparing for HRH Mohammed bin Salman’s first visit as the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Bilateral Cooperation Cooperation between France and Saudi Arabia is based upon education, including health education, as well as technical and cultural cooperation. French education in the Kingdom is provided by three schools, in Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar, which currently enroll a total of 3,200 students from kindergarten to baccalaureate. Moreover, the Alliance Française in Saudi Arabia was established in 2010 in Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar and has been teaching French to children and adults from across the country. The excellence of French expertise is a prominent asset in the French-Saudi bilateral cooperation, especially in the sectors of culture, defense and new technologies with the “French Tech” initiative. The Kingdom’s “Vision 2030” program is a great opportunity for both countries to deepen their cooperation, allowing many more synergies to be identified and established. Cooperation in numerous fields is expected to develop, including new academic, technical and institutional partnerships.
Economy
France and Saudi Arabia have a very fruitful economic partnership because of their common strategic goal to support and develop each other’s economic growth. Saudi Arabia is one of France’s most important partners in the Middle East. In 2016, France’s annual exports to the Kingdom was equivalent to €4.4 billion, while imports from the Kingdom totaled €3.7 billion. This accounted for up to 15 % of France’s exports to the Middle East and North African region.
Gautier Lagarde Lasériste au projet Apollon
With more than 4,200 French companies collaborating with Saudi Arabian businesses, and with over 80 companies currently located in the Kingdom, French businesses have created more than 10,000 jobs in the Kingdom, mainly for Saudis. The Kingdom’s “Vision 2030” has now opened even more opportunities for French companies to get involved. Some of the sectors currently under development are tourism, financial services, energy, transport infrastructures and the building of smart cities. France, in turn, is a very business-friendly country for Saudi companies too. With great opportunities to invest in promising areas, such as health, IT, telecommunication, agriculture, food companies and renewable energy. France also provides remarkable competitive advantages to businesses in infrastructures and innovative SMEs.
French Culture
Paris is widely regarded as the worldwide hub of art, music, fashion, cuisine and architecture, and is strongly associated with defining French culture. It is important to note that other regions and cities of France also have exquisite cultural experiences to offer, with rich history and iconic geography making them equally stimulating. As one travels across France, from French Riviera in the South and Lille in the North, to Brittany in the West and Strasbourg in the East, the variety and abundance of cultural experiences makes for an unforgettable and astounding experience.
The French Embassy in Riyadh holds many events dedicated to exchange and partnership between France and Saudi Arabia in order to build and foster long term relation between the two countries across the country with concerts, exhibitions, conferences and many more events related to heritage, arts and higher education.
Where To Go
- Paris: From the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre, Disneyland and innumerable other attractions, there is just so much to do and see in Paris.
- The French Riviera provides a breathtaking and unique Mediterranean experience with lovely cities such as Cannes, Nice and Antibes.
- Lyon is the bustling new tourists’ hub. Rich with scenery and history, to nightlife and traditional cuisine, Lyon is always drawing more fans from around the world.
- The Loire Valley is home to the Renaissance castles, the most visited castles in France after Versaille.
What To Do
- Climb Mount Saint-Michel in Normandy. Located in the Northwest of France, this is a UNESCO world heritage site with great historic relevance.
- Attend French gastronomy classes and taste the local produce to experience authentic French cuisine. Take a snowy spa break in the alpine resorts, and enjoy the Savoyard cuisine, snow hikes and winter sports of your choice.
- Attend a music and movie festival. From large national and international events to local village celebrations, France has many unforgettable celebrations of its culture and media all year round.
- Take a trip along the Atlantic coast on a kayak or a catamaran, or enjoy some kitesurfing or rafting and add a hint of adrenaline to your journey with these water sports.
