Why France is quietly becoming Saudi Arabia’s go-to internal security partner

Saudi Arabia and France strengthened their internal security cooperation this week with the signing of a bilateral agreement between their interior ministries. The deal was finalized in Paris on July 29 during a visit by Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, who met with his French counterpart, Gerald Darmanin. The trip included a high-profile tour of the Paris Police Prefecture’s Operations Center, which oversaw security for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

“This agreement will allow our two countries to share best practices, particularly in cybersecurity, counterterrorism and the fight against narcotics,” Darmanin said following the signing. The bilateral boost comes as the two sides increasingly align on strategic issues — a momentum reinforced by their co-hosting of the UN conference on a two-state solution, which was held in New York from July 28 to 30. While that event focused on diplomacy, the ministers’ engagement underscored a different priority: strengthening internal security, managing domestic threats and building resilience ahead of Saudi Arabia’s planned mega-events.

A broader agenda

Though few details have been publicly disclosed, the agreement is expected to encompass a wide range of internal security areas, including training, information exchange, counterterrorism and high-tech policing. Discussions have also pointed to a shared interest in combating drug trafficking, particularly the expanding captagon trade — a synthetic amphetamine that is often smuggled into the Gulf from Syria and Lebanon.