Saudi Arabia: MBS à Paris

Just days after his visit to Russia (see page 4), Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) flew to Paris for an official visit during which a number of agreements were signed – including a $470m Saudi purchase of Airbus helicopters, and confirmation that Saudi Arabian Airlines is to take delivery of 50 Airbus planes in a deal worth around $8bn. MBS has been travelling quite a lot in recent months as he finds his feet in top-tier politics, attending the United States-Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) summit at Camp David in May, going to Qatar in June and holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 18 June.