By Riffat Kausar
Snn News Finland
Paris French President Emmanuel Macron appeared in dark aviator sunglasses Indoors during an official meeting with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman in Paris on Monday, keeping them on even indoors throughout the engagement.
The Sultan’s visit marked the first official trip to France by an Omani head of state since 1989.
The two leaders met at the Élysée Palace before attending a business forum, where Macron praised Oman’s diplomatic mediation efforts in regional crises, including those involving Iran and Yemen.
Eye Injury Cited as Official Reason
According to the French presidency’s entourage, cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP), Macron wore the sunglasses due to an eye problem.
This marks at least the second time this year he has appeared in sunglasses at an official event, following a similar appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, which was attributed at the time to a burst blood vessel in his eye.
The cause of the recurring eye irritation has not been publicly detailed by the Élysée Palace Indoors .
Online Speculation, Not Confirmed Claims
The sunglasses Indoors sparked renewed speculation on social media and among some French opposition figures, who referenced a widely circulated video from May 2025 showing Macron’s wife, Brigitte Macron, Sunglasses appearing to push or strike him near the open door of a presidential aircraft during a visit to Vietnam.
At the time, the Élysée Palace described the moment as the couple “play-fighting” before disembarking.
Florent Philippot, leader of the French opposition party Les Patriotes, referenced the incident on social media platform X, questioning the sunglasses Indoors and asking whether it was “another slap in the face from Brigitte” or simply for show.
These claims remain unverified speculation and have not been confirmed by the Élysée Palace, which maintains that the sunglasses Indoors were worn for medical reasons related to an eye condition.
Business Deals Signed During Visit
Beyond the speculation, the visit produced several concrete agreements between France and Indoors Oman.
French shipping company CMA CGM signed a $500 million deal with Oman’s investment authority to develop logistics corridors and manage a port terminal in Sohar.
Defence firm Thales signed an $8 million contract to supply radar systems to Oman’s civil aviation authority.
Additional agreements included a $2.25 billion deal for French utility company Suez to manage Muscat’s water networks, and a $4 billion contract for EDF Power Solutions to develop a pumped-storage power plant at the Wadi Daysat dam.
France and Oman also agreed to cooperate Indoors on demining operations and maintaining safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route, amid ongoing regional tensions.
Protocol Concerns Raised
Some etiquette experts questioned the optics of the sunglasses Indoors at a formal diplomatic event.
Business protocol expert Ekaterina Bogacheva noted that wearing dark glasses during an indoor meeting with a foreign head of state was unusual, suggesting it was “difficult to explain logically” outside of an informal or medical context.
The Élysée Palace has not issued further comment beyond the initial explanation provided to AFP.
France’s diplomatic engagement in the Middle East
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