JEDDAH – The Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman held official talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Jeddah on Thursday, reviewing bilateral relations and discussing regional and international developments.
The Crown Prince welcomed Mr Kani at Al Salam Palace, where an official welcome ceremony was held before the two leaders held formal talks.
The leaders reviewed Saudi-Canadian relations and discussed opportunities to expand cooperation across various sectors, as well as regional and international developments and continued efforts to address them.
Ahead of the visit, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the talks would focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in energy, critical minerals, investment, infrastructure, advanced technology and defence.
The two leaders also discussed developments in the situation in the Middle East, maritime security and other issues of mutual interest, and explored ways to strengthen political cooperation between the two countries.
Secretary Carney’s visit marks the first official visit to Saudi Arabia by a sitting Canadian prime minister in 26 years and reflects the growing momentum in the bilateral relationship.
Economic relations between the two countries continue to expand, supported by initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation between the business communities.
In 2024, the Saudi Federation of Chambers of Commerce reconstituted the Saudi-Canadian Business Council and opened an office in Toronto to foster business engagement and investment.
Riyadh also hosted the Saudi-Canada Business and Investment Forum in January 2026, where six memoranda of understanding worth nearly $600 million were signed in the telecommunications, information technology, cybersecurity, education, and manufacturing sectors.
Trade between Saudi Arabia and Canada reached approximately $2.9 billion in 2025, of which $1.719 billion was exported from Saudi Arabia and $1.19 billion was exported from Canada to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Vision 2030 continues to create opportunities for deeper cooperation in artificial intelligence, clean technology, mining and energy. Approximately 767 Canadian companies currently operate regional offices or headquarters in the Kingdom.
Educational cooperation is also expanding, with nearly 1,984 Saudi doctors graduating or studying in Canada between 2020 and 2025. The number of graduates increased from 170 in 2020 to 606 in 2025, an increase of 256%.
