Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney began a visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, the first in 26 years for talks aimed at expanding economic ties and diversifying trade partnership.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said Carney was welcomed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, where an official reception ceremony was held.
A statement by Carney's office said the two leaders discussed harnessing Canadian expertise to catalyse innovations in health and medicine, support renewable energy projects, including wind, solar, hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage, and deploy artificial intelligence (AI) to improve and save lives.
According to the statement, Canada and Saudi Arabia signed two memoranda of understanding on energy and AI to accelerate this cooperation.
The statement said Carney recognized Saudi Arabia's transformative Vision 2030 strategy, "which has led to unprecedented investments in infrastructure, dynamic growth in tourism, and advancements in health and technology."
The premier also affirmed Canada's commitment to building a stronger partnership with Saudi Arabia, "built on mutual trust, pragmatic cooperation, and a focus on catalysing benefits for our peoples."
Carney and bin Salman welcomed the signing of a MoU to establish the Canada-Saudi Arabia Coordination Council, "which will strengthen cooperation across key defense, economic, trade and investment, cultural, educational, scientific, and consular priorities."
The Canadian premier condemned Iran's recent attacks on Gulf countries and reaffirmed Canada's support for the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of countries in the region, emphasizing the importance of de-escalation, protecting civilians, and advancing diplomatic efforts to promote regional stability and security.
The visit is the first by a Canadian prime minister to Saudi Arabia since 2000. Carney became a premier in March 2025.
On May 24, 2023, Saudi Arabia and Canada restored their diplomatic relations, following a five-year rift between the two nations.
The visit comes as Canada seeks to diversify trade and attract investment amidst tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump and his threats not to extend the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, is striving to attract more foreign investment as part of a plan led by bin Salman to diversify the kingdom's economy and reduce its dependence on oil.
