Carney Justifies Saudi Arabia Visit Amid Criticism of Trade Ties
WHO:
The Globe and Mail - Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
ABC News - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
ABC News - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
ABC News - Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand
The Globe and Mail - Lloyd Axworthy, former Canadian foreign affairs minister
The Globe and Mail - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
WHAT:
The Globe and Mail - Carney and Mohammed bin Salman established the Canada-Saudi Arabia Co-ordination Council to deepen cooperation in sectors such as defence and trade.
The Globe and Mail - Carney stated that Saudi Investment Minister Fahad Al-Saif called Canada “a trusted long-term partner” and mentioned that Saudi investors offer “patient capital.”
ABC News - Carney defended his trip to Saudi Arabia despite its poor human rights record.
ABC News - Carney stated, “Lecturing countries from afar is an ineffective strategy.”
ABC News - Carney attended a ceremony for 13 commercial agreements worth more than 1 billion Canadian dollars ($710 million).
The Globe and Mail - Canada is re-establishing the position of defence attaché in its Riyadh embassy.
The Globe and Mail - Canada expects to sign a foreign investment protection and promotion agreement with Saudi Arabia by the end of 2027.
The Globe and Mail - Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund will attend the inaugural Canada Investment Summit in Toronto in September.
WHERE:
ABC News - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
The Globe and Mail - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The Globe and Mail - Toronto, Canada
WHEN:
The Globe and Mail - Carney's inaugural Canada Investment Summit in Toronto is scheduled for September.
ABC News - Carney's visit is the first by a Canadian leader to Saudi Arabia in 26 years.
The Globe and Mail - Canada expects to sign the foreign investment protection agreement by the end of 2027.
The Globe and Mail - The inaugural Canada Investment Summit is scheduled for September.
WHY:
ABC News - Carney aims to expand Canada’s economic ties beyond reliance on the United States.
The Globe and Mail - Carney's visit contrasts with the previous government's approach, which criticized Saudi Arabia's human rights record.
HOW:
The Globe and Mail - Carney mentioned that Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne will lead a delegation of Canadian pension funds to Saudi Arabia in the coming months to explore new investment opportunities.
ABC News - Carney met with Saudi officials to discuss trade and investment opportunities.
The Globe and Mail - Carney emphasized that engagement with foreign countries does not equate to endorsement of their actions.
(UPDATED July 10, 2026 11:54 UTC)
In a significant development, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have established the Canada-Saudi Arabia Co-ordination Council to enhance cooperation in areas like defense and trade. Carney highlighted that Saudi Investment Minister Fahad Al-Saif referred to Canada as “a trusted long-term partner” and emphasized the availability of “patient capital” from Saudi investors. Looking ahead, Carney's inaugural Canada Investment Summit in Toronto is set for September, where Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne will lead a delegation of Canadian pension funds to Saudi Arabia to explore new investment opportunities.
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(UPDATED July 10, 2026 06:21 UTC)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently defended his trip to Saudi Arabia, stating that lecturing countries from afar is an ineffective strategy, while emphasizing the importance of expanding Canada’s economic ties beyond reliance on the United States. During his visit, which marks the first by a Canadian leader to Saudi Arabia in 26 years, Carney attended a ceremony for thirteen commercial agreements worth over one billion Canadian dollars and announced plans to re-establish a defence attaché position in the Riyadh embassy. Looking ahead, Canada expects to sign a foreign investment protection agreement with Saudi Arabia by the end of 2027, and the Saudi sovereign wealth fund is set to attend the inaugural Canada Investment Summit in Toronto this September.