Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, has awarded Major General Saleh Muhammad Al Ameri, Commander of Joint Operations at the Ministry of Defense, the Legion of Honor (Officer), the highest national decoration in France, in recognition of his significant contributions to the advancement of military relations between the UAE and France.

Gravier Chanel, Ambassador of France to the UAE, awarded Major General Al Ameri with the honor during a ceremony onboard the French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle anchored off the UAE coasts, in the presence of a number of senior Defense Ministry officers from both sides, Emirates news agency WAM reported.

For his part, the Commander of Joint Operations expressed his deep thanks and appreciation to French President Macron for the honor, wishing relations between the two countries to witness further development and progress.

The Legion of Honor (French: Légion d’Honneur) is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, it has been retained by all later French governments and régimes.

The order’s motto is Honneur et Patrie (Honor and Fatherland), and its seat is the Palais de la Légion d’Honneur next to the Musée d’Orsay, on the left bank of the Seine River in Paris.

The order is divided into five degrees of increasing distinction: Chevalier (Knight), Officier (Officer), Commandeur (Commander), Grand Officier (Grand Officer), and Grand-Croix (Grand Cross).