French firms eye Gulf's $1.68bn smart grid by 2026
This participation, organized by Business France, reflects France's long-standing industrial expertise and commitment to supporting the Gulf region's energy transition, in alignment with the UAE's ambitions for sustainable development and infrastructure modernization.
Major Opportunities and Strategic Investments to Support Energy Transition
To meet the growing energy demand, Gulf countries plan to increase their installed capacity through massive investments in new electrical infrastructure. Among the most significant projects, the electrical interconnection between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Oman represents a major step forward. With a budget exceeding $700 million, this project aims to directly connect the GCC's interconnected grid to Oman, ensuring increased transmission capacity and reduced operational costs.
On the other hand, the smart grid market is rapidly expanding and is expected to reach $1.68 billion by 2026 in the Gulf region. At the same time, the development of renewable energy, energy consumption optimization, and the construction of sustainable cities have become top priorities across the region.
These developments present major new opportunities for French companies, whose expertise in these key sectors is widely recognised.
France - UAE: A Strategic and sustainable Energy Partnership
Both countries are entering a new phase of their strategic alliance, following high-level visits in early 2025:
The visit of H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to Paris last February, 2025
The official visit of Laurent Saint-Martin, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and French Nationals Abroad, to the UAE on February 20–21, 2025
These diplomatic milestones reinforced the Comprehensive Strategic Energy Partnership launched in 2022 and gave fresh momentum to bilateral cooperation in energy, trade, and innovation. A cornerstone of this partnership is the agreement between Masdar (UAE) and TotalEnergies (France) to accelerate access to clean energy in Southeast Asia and Africa, an initiative underscoring both countries' shared vision for global sustainable development.
With bilateral trade reaching €8.5 billion in 2024, the UAE remains France's top trading partner in the MENA region. Energy remains a key pillar of this dynamic relationship, supported by growing collaboration across new sectors including AI, smart mobility, and green hydrogen.
French Delegation: Tailored Solutions for Energy Challenges
As energy systems in the MENA region evolve, the French Pavilion will spotlight innovative and resilient solutions designed to support the shift towards secure, digital, and low-carbon infrastructures. Key areas of expertise include:
With solutions aligned to the region's most urgent priorities such as grid resilience, energy efficiency, renewables integration, and smart city development, the French delegation stands ready to contribute to the GCC's long-term energy goals. -TradeArabia News Service
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Tribune
a day ago
- Daily Tribune
Macron urges 'pressure' on Russia until 'solid peace' in Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said support for Kyiv and pressure on Russia needed to continue until "a solid and durable peace" had been achieved in Ukraine. Following a meeting of US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Macron on X called for "unbreakable" security guarantees for any future peace deal, and cautioned against what he said was Russia's "well-documented tendency to not keep its own commitments".
Daily Tribune
a day ago
- Daily Tribune
European leaders back Putin-Trump-Zelensky meeting
AFP | European leaders on Saturday expressed support for a three-way summit between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia's Vladimir Putin and US leader Donald Trump, after a US-Russia summit failed to produce a ceasefire. A statement, signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, insisted on maintaining pressure on Russia until peace was achieved, including through sanctions. Friday's Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska ended without the US president extracting concrete commitments from Putin to halt Russia's invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022. "We will continue to strengthen sanctions and wider economic measures to put pressure on Russia's war economy until there is a just and lasting peace," said the statement. The European leaders also insisted Moscow "cannot have a veto" on Ukraine joining the European Union or NATO. Russia has made clear it will not tolerate Kyiv's membership of the defence alliance. But the leaders said they were "ready to work ... towards a trilateral summit with European support". European leaders had been uneasy over Trump's diplomatic outreach to Putin, arguing that Zelensky should have been involved in the Alaska summit. In a separate statement, Starmer praised Trump's efforts as bringing "us closer than ever before to ending Russia's illegal war in Ukraine". But Macron, writing on X, cautioned against what he said was Russia's "well-documented tendency to not keep its own commitments". He called for any future peace deal to have "unbreakable" security guarantees. He also argued for increased pressure on Russia until "a solid and durable peace" had been achieved. The European leader welcomed what they called "security guarantees" made by Trump without giving details. A diplomatic source told AFP that Trump had offered Ukraine guarantees similar to NATO membership, but without it joining the alliance.
Gulf Insider
2 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Germany's Industrial Core Is Collapsing Under The US Trade Deal And The Green Agenda
The asymmetrical trade agreement between the EU and the US will further worsen Germany's recession. Yet neither politicians nor corporate leaders show any willingness to make the sweeping policy changes needed to reverse course. Germany's economic data leaves no room for illusions. After contracting by 0.9% in 2023 and another 0.5% last year, the decline will continue this year. The Machine Room Has Been Blown Apart It is precisely the sectors that have sustained German prosperity for decades—automobiles, construction, machinery—that are under the heaviest pressure. Without the artificial boost from state spending—now accounting for half of GDP—the private sector is set to shrink by 4–5% this year. Since 2018, total productivity has been in steady decline. This is also a social problem: Germany is importing hundreds of thousands of welfare migrants into its social systems, yet the economy would have to boom just to keep per capita prosperity from falling. A new survey by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) confirms what was already obvious: the EU–US trade deal will especially hurt Germany's export-oriented economy. According to the survey, 58% of companies expect additional burdens, rising to 74% for firms with direct US business. Only 5% expect any benefit. 'This deal may have been politically necessary, but for many German companies it's a bitter pill,' said DIHK CEO Helena Melnikov. 'Higher tariffs, more bureaucracy, falling competitiveness'—that's the price of the diplomatic truce between Washington and Brussels. As of Thursday, a general 15% tariff applies to exports to the US, hitting automotive and machinery manufacturers hardest. 89% of US-oriented firms report immediate disadvantages, 72% fear further tariff hikes, 80% worry about political arbitrariness in transatlantic trade, and more than half plan to scale back US operations. Business Was Already Weak In its May survey of over 21,000 companies, only 23% reported positive business expectations—down five points—while 30% expected deterioration. In industry, one in three anticipates fewer orders. Just 19% plan to increase investment, while about a third plan to cut back. High energy prices, labor shortages, and political uncertainty are seen as the main drags. The DIHK forecasts a 0.3% recession for 2025, but adjusting for state spending, the real decline is closer to 4–5%. Daily surveys confirm the same message: Germany is being deindustrialized, losing hundreds of thousands of core-sector jobs. The social security deficits already emerging are just the beginning. Yet both politics and business refuse to conduct an honest diagnosis. The Green Deal remains sacrosanct. Energy costs for German industry are up to three times higher than for US competitors, double that of French firms—pushing energy-intensive sectors out of the country. Dancing Around the Golden Calf Nobody dares openly challenge Brussels' climate agenda. A rare exception came in June, when a group of works council representatives wrote an open letter to the Chancellor, naming the Green Deal as a root cause of decline. But most CEOs dodge the question. Mercedes-Benz chief Ola Källenius cites 'weak demand, high production costs, and US tariff uncertainty' for falling margins—but ignores the Green Deal's role. VW CEO Oliver Blume calls for lower energy prices and tax incentives for EVs—essentially more subsidies to keep the transition alive. Corporate leadership is now fused ideologically with the Green Deal. The energy transition has battered Germany's industrial base: sectors like construction and automotive have been knocked completely off track. A Split Economy Events like the 'Made for Germany' coffee chat between 61 CEOs and the Chancellor are symbolic of a corporatist mindset. Large corporations can adjust or relocate production to sidestep regulation, but small and medium-sized enterprises—the Mittelstand—are being crushed. The Green Deal's bureaucratic weight ultimately clears the field for big corporations by eliminating smaller competitors. The Mittelstand has no political backing, and many are fighting daily for survival—often ending in bankruptcy. In H1 2025, insolvencies rose 9.4% year-on-year to 11,900 companies. There is still no sign of a policy shift on climate. The German corporate elite has failed to seize the initiative to force political change. Germany is heading for a hot autumn—economically and socially. Source Zero Hedge
