Behind the Sudden Macron Trip to the Region: How Is France Quarantining Yanbu Port?

New details have emerged about the French president's four-day tour of Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait aimed at managing the global energy crisis.

French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux announced this today but declined to provide more details about the equipment sent to Saudi Arabia.

French President Emmanuel Macron recently said that France will send forces and defense systems to Saudi Arabia to help protect the port city of Yanbu in the Red Sea, which plays an important role in the transportation of energy carriers.

The Elysee Palace announced in a statement last night (October 22) that Macron will travel to Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and Qatar from October 19 to 21 (October 27 to 29).

During this trip, he is going to discuss with the officials of these countries about the developments related to the Strait of Hormuz and the effects of the increase in energy prices.

Macron had previously announced that the current conflicts in the Middle East will exacerbate the global energy crisis without mentioning the US attack against Iran as the main reason for the tension in the region that affected the global energy market. He also demanded a diplomatic solution to guarantee the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Macron said: "In the coming weeks, we will hold a meeting with the members of the Group of 7 to discuss energy issues." This will be done both to strengthen cooperation and avoid unnecessary tensions between the G7 member states and our key partners, and to examine options such as the possible release of strategic reserves or the lifting of restrictions.

He also said: "We are sending forces and defense systems to Saudi Arabia to help protect the port city of Yanba in the Red Sea, which is vital for the transfer of energy."