Diplomatic sources said the king and Hollande would discuss the worsening situation in Syria, Iran’s controversial nuclear program and the Palestinian issue as well as ways of strengthening bilateral economic and commercial cooperation.
Paris and Riyadh have "very similar views" on the Syria conflict and the two leaders are due to discuss this and energy issues, including nuclear power, French sources said.
Before arriving here, Hollande will stop in Beirut for talks with his Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman. A French government source said the visit was "a strong political gesture of backing for Lebanon’s sovereignty and the preservation of its integrity in the face of destabilization threats."
Saudi Arabia is the 14th largest trading partner of France. In 2011, trade between France and Saudi Arabia grew by 17 percent totaling 7.69 billion euros compared to 6.58 billion euros in 2010. Petroleum products and petrochemicals accounted for 98 percent of French imports from the Kingdom.
France’s exports to the Kingdom went down by 21.2 percent in 2011, mainly due to the downfall in sales of aircraft.
France’s exports of aircraft and spacecraft and pharmaceutical preparations were alone 50 percent of French sales to Saudi Arabia in 2010.
With a stock of 1.4 billion euros at the end of 2010 according to the Banque de France, or 0.16% of the stock of French investment abroad, Saudi Arabia ranks as the 48th largest destination of French FDI. The figures put forward by Saudi Arabia – 15.3 billion of French investment – place France as the third largest foreign investor in the Kingdom.
