Francois de Beaupuy and Samy Adghirni | Bloomberg | Wednesday, October 21, 2026 | 10:21 AM UTC
France secured fresh supplies of liquefied natural gas from Qatar and will work to lower fuel transport costs from the Persian Gulf as it seeks to curb soaring energy costs tied to the Middle East conflict and war in Ukraine, President Emmanuel Macron said.
France will get the equivalent of 2 terawatt-hours of LNG per month during the winter, Macron told reporters on Wednesday in Doha, Qatar, as part of agreements reached in the region.
To lower the price of transporting fuel, France is working on improving safety for some tankers, as well as developing a mechanism that would help insure some ships operating in the area.
On Tuesday, the French government secured commitments from three Middle Eastern producers to supply the country with more diesel in the coming months as households and businesses grapple with rising energy bills, due to attacks on tankers in the Persian Gulf and on Russian refineries.
Surging diesel prices have added to already rising living costs in France and across much of the globe, with related protests in Paris and other cities turning violent in recent days.
The French government will also work on an upgraded version of the Rafale fighter jet with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Macron said. Deals on new radars, missiles and armored vehicles were also reached, he added, without elaborating.
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