UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Emmanuel Macron witness the launch of the UAE-France Business Council

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Managing Director and Group CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, today launched the UAE-France Business Council, in the presence of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, on the sidelines of an official banquet held at the Palace of Versailles.

The Council, chaired by Dr. Sultan Al Jaber and Patrick Pouyanné, aims to strengthen the economic relations between the two countries in the fields of energy, transport and investment.

Driven by both private sectors, the UAE-France Business Council is a testimony to the willingness that both countries display towards the reinforcement of their economic relationship. Its aims are to promote economic exchanges, to convey the voice of the UAE and French businesses to the highest public authorities as well as to identify and implement private cross-investment projects.

The Council comprises 18 CEOs from France and the UAE, selected for their interest in strengthening economic ties between the two countries.

Council members will meet at least once a year, in the presence of their respective ambassadors, alternating between the UAE and France. The next plenary session of the Council will be held in the UAE in May or June 2023.

To set up a concrete action plan for the strengthening of the UAE-France economic relationship, the Council created three working groups dedicated to energy, industry, technology, transportation, and investment. Each working group will make clear recommendations to foster economic exchange between the UAE and France in their respective fields.