French President Emmanuel Macron has secured the delivery of an additional 200,000 tonnes of diesel per month from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain during a tour of the Gulf, the French presidency said on Tuesday, Agence France-Presse reported. He obtained commitments for around 100,000 tonnes per month from the Emirates, while an additional 100,000 tonnes monthly was to be secured during his stop in Bahrain later in the day, the Elysee Palace said. With the addition of deliveries from Saudi Arabia, France now has commitments for 295,000 tonnes per month, representing just over 10 percent of its consumption, the presidency added.

Macron is undertaking the tour of key energy suppliers in the Gulf in an effort to secure oil and diesel and bring down prices in France, after a weekend of violent protests over soaring living costs, AFP reported. The trip also included stops in Kuwait and Qatar, all of which have been thrown into turmoil by the US-Iran war since February, which has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — the main exit route for the Gulf's energy exports. Kuwait has also given 'very clear commitments' to deliver diesel and kerosene to the French overseas territories of Mayotte and Reunion in the Indian Ocean, with shipments sent via Oman, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, the presidency said.

Bloomberg reported that Bahrain and the UAE will each supply 100,000 tonnes — about 746,000 barrels — a month for an unspecified period, that Saudi Arabia will provide 95,000 tonnes a month in October and November, and that French oil major TotalEnergies will sign a deal 'dedicated to France' with national oil companies. TotalEnergies chief executive Patrick Pouyanne, who is travelling with Macron, said the deals would 'reassure the French' and that the country would not run out of diesel this winter, AFP and Bloomberg reported. France has also released 10 million barrels of diesel from its reserves, aiming to cut prices by 12 to 18 cents from next month, AFP reported.

European diesel is currently trading at almost $200 a barrel amid the war in Iran and Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, compared with about $80 at the start of the year, Bloomberg reported — refined products have rallied much harder than crude prices this year. The Elysee said talks are also under way with countries in the region to bring down maritime insurance prices so companies can ship greater quantities through the strait at lower cost. Awaaz Punjab notes the presidency did not quantify what the Gulf commitments will mean for pump prices in France.

Sources: Agence France-Presse via the Elysee Palace announcement, 20 October 2026 (syndicated by France 24 and others); Bloomberg, 'France Secures Some Diesel From Gulf States as Prices Surge', 20 October 2026.