French defence and other companies – which had very high hopes for major contracts – are feeling “more and more marginalised by the return in force of the Ameicans to the kingdom”, Paris news magazine Challenges wrote following the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh conference. Even if the event was organised by French entrepreneur Richard Attias, and corporate chiefs including the heads of Thales, Total and Société Générale attended – along with ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy – there was no French minister and few prospects for big defence contracts that Paris has been chasing for years.
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