5th France-Arab Economic Summit 2024

The CSFN participated in the 5th France-Arab Economic Summit 2024, titled "Increasing France’s Presence in the Arab World." This event, organized by the Franco-Arab Chamber of Commerce, aimed to strengthen trade relations and cooperation between French and Arab economic stakeholders. The day, held under the high patronage of Emmanuel Macron, featured plenary sessions and geographic roundtables focused on the Gulf countries, the Levant, and the Maghreb.

During the major afternoon plenary session, Patrick Pouyanné presented TotalEnergies’ strategy in this region.

In a roundtable moderated by Axel Baroux (Business France), Hervé Maillart, Permanent Delegate of the Nuclear Sector at CNI, emphasized innovations and new technologies in the nuclear sector. To meet the decarbonization imperatives of the economy and achieve the ambitious goals set during COP28 in Dubai (tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050), the French nuclear sector is ready to develop international partnerships. Hervé illustrated his point by highlighting the strong involvement of the French nuclear industry in the United Arab Emirates, supporting the operator of the Barakah nuclear plant. This cooperation, known as E-FUSION, was launched in 2019 in the presence of Ludovic Pouille, who was then the French Ambassador to the UAE.

During the summit’s closing session, Ludovic Pouille, now Director of Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, reflected on the impressive institutional mobilization, with the participation of numerous high-level representatives from each represented state. Mr. Pouille also stressed how difficult it is to separate geoeconomics from geopolitics: What will be the future repercussions of recent events that have shaken certain countries in the region? The Franco-Arab partnership is a long-term commitment, and France will remain present alongside Arab countries.