Canada's PM Mark Carney visits Saudi Arabia seeking economic partnerships

Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Jeddah on Wednesday at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marking the first visit to Saudi Arabia by a sitting Canadian prime minister in 26 years.

Carney is seeking economic partnerships with the strategically important nation, though the timing is complicated by the kingdom's deteriorating human rights record.

The visit follows a gradual thaw in bilateral relations after what University of Ottawa professor Thomas Juneau called "a fairly major diplomatic dispute" in 2018. The Trudeau government had criticized Saudi Arabia's justice system and treatment of women, calling for the immediate release of human-rights activists. Riyadh responded by withdrawing its ambassador from Ottawa and expelling Canada's envoy. Trade talks were halted before ambassadors were restored in 2023.

The dispute had followed years of controversy around Canada's sales of light armoured vehicles to the kingdom.

Juneau said Carney's visit could lead to investment deals, co-operation on security and defence, green-energy projects, and various diplomatic initiatives. The Gulf region produces little of its own food, and Saudi Arabia is interested in Canada's secure supply chains.

Carney's office listed multiple "priority sectors" including mining, artificial intelligence, cleantech, agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, and life sciences. Juneau said he'll be watching for discussion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, since both countries hold "broadly similar" positions that Israel should live in peace next to a sovereign Palestinian state.

He'll also watch for any detail on whether Canada might help secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz should a viable ceasefire emerge between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. The tentative ceasefire brokered in June collapsed this week when Iran fired at commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, prompting new U.S. strikes on Wednesday.