The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has managed to guarantee an extra shipment of 200,000 tons per month of diesel from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The understanding, sealed during the Elysee chief's tour of several Gulf States, aims to ensure energy supply and contain the rise in prices at gas stations in France.
These new shipments, whose distribution in French territory will be handled by the French oil company TotalEnergies, are in addition to the commitment already made by Saudi Arabia to provide an additional 95,000 tons during the months of October and November, according to the newspaper "Le Monde." In total, these extraordinary volumes represent "approximately 10 percent of the diesel consumption" of the entire country, according to estimates conveyed by Elysee sources to the French newspaper.
The CEO of TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanné, who is part of the delegation accompanying Macron on this official trip, has applauded the agreement, emphasizing its strategic relevance. "We are on a mission to ensure supply because there is a risk. This will reassure the French. We will not lack diesel this winter," Pouyanné assured from Abu Dhabi, after admitting that the company anticipated a possible intensification of tensions in the hydrocarbon market due to the "impact of the Ukrainian attacks on Russia."
The initiative of the French government comes in a context of strong internal social unrest, following a weekend marked by disturbances and demonstrations fueled by the rising cost of living. To cushion the economic impact of the war that began in February between Israel, the United States, and Iran, which led to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Paris had already released ten million barrels from its strategic reserves, a decision that allowed for a reduction in fuel prices at the pumps between 12 and 18 cents.
From the French Presidency, it is defended that the result of these energy discussions is the fruit of the "trust" that Gulf partners place in Paris as a "reliable partner" for the protection of their States during the war.
However, beyond these urgent measures, the Élysée and its Arab allies remain uneasy about the reciprocal blockade maintained by Washington and Tehran in Hormuz. According to "Le Monde," the Gulf monarchies fear a new escalation of the confrontation once the midterm elections in the United States conclude, scheduled for next November 3. In turn, French diplomacy warns of the serious risk that, after seven months of crisis, the region could become trapped in a lasting "gray zone, neither peace nor war, that fuels long-term instability."