UAE President and French Leader Macron Inspect Advanced Defence Manufacturing in Abu Dhabi

President Sheikh Mohamed and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday visited companies under the UAE's premier defence group as part of Mr. Macron's official tour of the Gulf region. The leaders toured advanced manufacturing facilities at Tawazun Industrial Park in Abu Dhabi, which house entities such as Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments, EPI, Halcon, and Powertech – all part of the Edge Group.

During their visit, Sheikh Mohamed and Mr. Macron received briefings on the industrial park's significant role in bolstering domestic, regional, and international companies. Accompanying Sheikh Mohamed were Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, Adviser to the UAE President, along with several ministers and senior officials.

The two leaders also observed the signing of a strategic defence partnership framework between the UAE and France. This framework was exchanged by Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Defence Affairs, and Catherine Vautrin, France's Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs.

Following the tour, President Sheikh Mohamed bid farewell to President Macron as he concluded the UAE portion of his Gulf visit, which commenced in Kuwait on Monday. Mr. Macron proceeded to Bahrain after his UAE engagements and is scheduled to visit Qatar.

The visit also saw the UAE and France solidify agreements in energy, artificial intelligence, and advanced technology. Preliminary deals were signed in the presence of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and President Macron in Abu Dhabi. Specifically, three agreements focused on AI and advanced technology were established with the French start-up AMI Labs, aiming to enhance research and technological cooperation and explore new applications across various sectors, as reported by the Abu Dhabi Media Office.