Macron to host Saudi crown prince for talks on Middle East, energy

French President Emmanuel Macron will be hosting Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday for a two-day visit set to range from esports to the war in the Middle East. Several agreements on health, transport and energy will be signed on the second day of the visit on Monday, according to a French presidential official. But the visit will kick off in a different style on Sunday evening, with Macron hosting the Saudi leader at the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup hosted by Paris. The event, which brings together the leading performers in esports ranging from computer games to chess and has been eagerly backed by MBS, is being held outside Saudi Arabia for the first time. On Monday afternoon, MBS and Macron are to chair the first meeting of the Saudi-French strategic partnership council. Macron and MBS "will discuss key regional issues, in a context calling for close coordination between France and its Gulf partners to foster stability and peace" in the Middle East, according to Macron's office. (Reporting by AFP)