Saad Hariri
Saad HaririReuters

Lebanon's former prime minister, Saad Hariri, will come to France "in the coming days", a source at the French presidency told AFP on Wednesday.

The development came after the office of President Emmanuel Macron said he had "invited" Hariri and his family to France.

The statement said the invitation came after Macron spoke by telephone with both the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Hariri, who unexpectedly announced his resignation in a statement from the kingdom on November 4.

Speculation has swirled around Hariri's prolonged stay in Saudi Arabia since the announcement.

There were rumors that he was under de facto house arrest in Saudi Arabia, but Hariri brushed off those rumors in a television interview this week, saying he is "free" in Saudi Arabia and will return to Lebanon "very soon".

On Tuesday, Hariri said on Twitter that he would return to Lebanon in the next two days, in what was his first personal tweet since he announced his resignation.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun has yet to officially accept Hariri's resignation, and has said he will not do so before meeting the premier in person in Lebanon. Earlier on Wednesday, Aoun said he considered Hariri to be detained until he returns to Lebanon.