Macron lands in Riyadh on surprise 'solidarity' visit

RIYADH, Oct 21: French President Emmanuel Macron landed in Riyadh in a surprise "solidarity" visit, making him the first Western leader to touch down in the kingdom since Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis intensified their attacks this month.

The unannounced trip sends a strong signal to his oil-rich Saudi ally as Riyadh comes under near-daily attack.

It was part of a Gulf tour to secure oil and diesel and bring down prices in France, following a weekend of violent protests over soaring living costs.

Faced with criticism of his Gulf tour in France, Macron told reporters he was just "doing his job" in a bid to "ease tensions" over gas prices, one of the causes of social unrest in France.�" AFP