ABU DHABI: UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for closer coordination to safeguard maritime security and global energy supplies amid escalating tensions and attacks on shipping routes across the Middle East. The two leaders discussed regional developments and efforts to contain their impact on international shipping and energy markets during Macron’s official visit to the UAE, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening diplomatic coordination to promote regional security and stability, while supporting efforts to achieve lasting peace. The French president began his Gulf tour in Kuwait earlier Monday and is scheduled to visit Bahrain and Qatar after the UAE. The tour comes amid heightened regional tensions and disruptions to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a significant share of global oil supplies passes. Maritime security has also deteriorated in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait, where Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia has intensified attacks on commercial shipping. France has been involved in efforts to protect maritime traffic through the EU’s Aspides naval mission, launched in 2024 in response to Houthi attacks. During their talks, Sheikh Mohamed and Macron also reviewed strategic partnership between their countries and discussed expanding cooperation in investment, energy, advanced technology and artificial intelligence. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to advancing joint projects in key sectors, building on growing economic and technological ties between the two countries.