France Strengthens Trade Relationships with Qatar and UAE

Trade ties between France and Gulf Arab states, namely Qatar and the UAE, are growing year on year, according to France's trade minister, who praised the growing partnership as "good news" on July 13. During a visit to the UAE, Olivier Becht stated that trade ties between the UAE and France now total more than €7 billion per year, up from €6 billion prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the same period, trade with Qatar nearly doubled to more than €4.6 billion, owing primarily to increased French imports of Qatari liquefied natural gas, he said.

"We have not only restored the (trade) figures that were recorded before the pandemic, but also improved them, and this is good news," Becht told AFP in Dubai, two days after he held meetings in Doha.

Last year during a visit by Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan to Paris, the UAE and France signed a strategic agreement to cooperate in the energy sector, including in hydrogen, renewable and nuclear energy. Becht stated that "the main areas of cooperation" with Qatar and the UAE include energy transition. He emphasised the importance of electric vehicles, green hydrogen, and sustainable aviation fuel.

French-Qatari trade ties have been strengthened by a strong energy partnership, especially since Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered an energy supply crisis, according to the trade minister.

"We have a long-term partnership with Qatar in many fields, particularly energy," Becht said.

"We'll still be using petrol in the next few years," he added, arguing that the energy transition will be slow.