JEDDAH: France will honor its commitment to help protect Saudi infrastructure against Houthi attacks, French lawmaker Amal Amelia Lakrafi said in Jeddah on Thursday.
“My colleagues on the Foreign Affairs Committee and I support Saudi Arabia because, for us, the Houthis are terrorists,” she said. “We must support countries that are fighting terrorism.”
Lakrafi, who is part of the delegation accompanying French President Emmanuel Macron, was speaking to a small group of journalists at the French Residence in Jeddah.
She sits on the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee and represents the 10th constituency for French citizens living abroad, which covers parts of the Middle East and Africa.
Asked what practical form French solidarity would take, she said: “When we say we are here to help, with our defense systems and military personnel, to secure your infrastructure, we will do so.
“He promised to help and protect and we will honor that promise.”
Lakrafi’s remarks came a day after Macron made an unannounced stop in Riyadh at the end of a Gulf tour, in a visit the Elysee described as a demonstration of solidarity with the Kingdom following the Houthi attacks.
Macron met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al-Yamamah Palace on Wednesday. They discussed regional and international developments and coordination to support security and stability, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Saudi Arabia also agreed to supply France with additional diesel for as long as necessary, bringing France’s monthly Gulf supply commitments to 295,000 tonnes.
Lakrafi said that the decision to add Riyadh to Macron’s itinerary demonstrated his commitment to the partnership.
“It was very good to see President Macron come here because he had not been expected to visit after Doha. I was with him in Doha. His decision to come shows his commitment to this partnership,” she said.
“He stayed only two hours, but you know what is happening in France. He also needs to be close to the French people and present in France.”
She described his visit to Riyadh as symbolic, reinforcing the message that Saudi Arabia could rely on France to keep its promises.
‘We are not a party to the war’
Asked about Houthi disruption of shipping through the Bab Al-Mandab Strait and French efforts to help restore freedom of navigation, Lakrafi highlighted support for the protection of Saudi infrastructure.
“What is certain is that France stands with you and is working with you to help ensure your security and protect Saudi infrastructure,” she said.
“We have also sent military personnel and equipment to help protect important infrastructure in places such as Yanbu. We are supporting you with both personnel and equipment.”
She described the deployment as defensive.
“We are not a party to the war. Our role is to help provide security,” she said.
‘No French citizen has told me they want to leave’
Lakrafi said that French citizens in Saudi Arabia were receiving regular updates from the embassy and consulate and thanked diplomats for keeping the community informed.
“As their MP, I have received barely two emails, out of more than 6,000 French citizens registered here,” she said.
She said that more French residents were registering with the consular authorities after recognizing the importance of being known to the embassy.
“French citizens who were not previously registered are now signing up, having understood the importance of making themselves known to the embassy. So the number on the consular register has increased,” she said.
“What is particularly important is that no French citizen has told me they want to leave. That suggests they feel safe, despite the tragic loss of life and the very large number of people injured.”
French nationals were among those injured in the attacks, she said.
“Sadly, French citizens are also among the injured and my thoughts are very much with them.”
Lakrafi said that her visit was also intended to show support for the French community, recalling an earlier solidarity visit following an attack on the Kingdom by the Houthis in 2020.
“That is also why I am here: to show solidarity with French citizens in Saudi Arabia,” she said. “I have returned now to stand with our French compatriots.”
Energy supplies and the transition
Asked whether France had become more dependent on Gulf energy, Lakrafi said that securing immediate supplies went alongside efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
She said that global traffic had returned to its pre-war level that week, a development she hoped would help lower petrol and diesel prices.
Through his Gulf tour, Macron had secured supplies for France, she said, while highlighting the country’s nuclear power capacity and investment in alternative energy.
“It is important to underline that France is fortunate to have nuclear power and that we have been working for the past 10 years to become less dependent on fossil fuels,” she said.
“Public policies encourage investment in solar energy. More and more French citizens are also driving electric cars, and we are investing to support the energy transition and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”
She described supply security and the energy transition as complementary priorities.
“So we are working on both fronts: securing supplies while pursuing public policies that make us increasingly less dependent on fossil fuels. Both are important, and we are making progress on both.”
A role for mediation
Asked about Macron’s call for renewed talks with the Houthis and how dialogue could be reconciled with France’s defensive deployment, Lakrafi highlighted the potential role of regional mediators.
“Some of your neighbors have played an active role as mediators. I am thinking particularly of Qatar and Oman,” she said.
“France could of course play a role in mediation. However, given that France is providing support to help Saudi Arabia secure its critical infrastructure, I am not sure the Houthis would agree to negotiate with France.”
She suggested that regional countries and international partners could work together to support negotiations.
“I believe neighbors such as Qatar and Oman, perhaps alongside the United States and Turkiye, could work together with France — which, again, is a permanent member of the UN Security Council — and use diplomacy to bring everyone to reason,” she said.
“We have no choice. War has only ever brought violence and destruction. I think people no longer want to see their soldiers die.”
She said that public acceptance of military casualties had diminished, strengthening the need to pursue a diplomatic solution.
“We do not want to see our soldiers die and we do not want to see our civilian populations die. We do not want war,” she said.
“If we do not want war, we must pursue mediation, allow mediators to do their work and always support dialogue.”
‘There is no civil war’
Turning to the protests in France over the cost of living, Lakrafi said that French citizens abroad were concerned, but argued that coverage of the unrest gave a distorted picture.
“French citizens abroad are worried about what is happening in France. Social media and the media magnify the most serious incidents and show them repeatedly,” she said.
“At the same time, fake news and false images generated by artificial intelligence amplify the impression that there is a civil war, which is not the case. Those images travel around the world much faster than authentic ones.”
She said that she had encountered those concerns during visits to Lebanon and Qatar.
“People told me: ‘Oh my God, you have a civil war in Paris.’ No, there is no civil war. Things have now become calm again.”
Lakrafi said that the underlying demands of students and workers were legitimate.
“Their calls for more teachers and better facilities are entirely legitimate. Workers’ demands for better working conditions and higher salaries are also entirely legitimate,” she said.
“The cost of living and purchasing power are, I believe, among the most important issues. The government is trying to address them as effectively as possible. So far, however, its responses have fallen short of what trade unions and young people are asking for.”
France’s high debt limited the government’s room for maneuver, she said, requiring it to control spending while responding to public demands.
“That means the state must work to reduce its costs as much as possible while also responding to people’s demands.”
She pointed to proposals to reduce certain payroll contributions to increase take-home pay, alongside changes to the organization of teachers’ working time.
“We also want teachers’ working time to be better organized so that more teachers can be in front of pupils,” she said. “There is a real issue around organization and allocating resources where they are needed.”
Lakrafi accused parties at both political extremes of exploiting public anger and said that violent groups had joined legitimate demonstrations to cause damage.
“Alongside these parties and very violent elements of the ultra-left, there are thugs who join demonstrators and use protests as an opportunity to cause damage,” she said.
“So we are seeing a convergence of thugs, criminals, the ultra-left and certain political parties.”
The meeting was followed by a reception hosted by the French consul for members of the French community in Jeddah.