In Saudi Arabia, Carney hails new ‘phase’ as bad blood with Canada vanishes

Prime Minister Mark Carney walks with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his official visit at Al-Salam Royal Palace in Jeddah on July 9, 2026. Photo by Saudi Ministry of Media/AFP via Getty Images

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JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA — As the military band of the Saudi royal household belted out a rendition of Canada’s national anthem, Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was thrilled.

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“They have not played ‘O Canada’ for 26 years… And I was very proud,” Carney said of his whirlwind visit to Saudi Arabia this week, which marked the first time a Canadian prime minister had set foot in the country in over a quarter-century, and comes after recent years of strained relations. He said he complimented Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince and de facto leader, on the “absolutely flawless” performance.

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“I hope that now that they’ve learned it… they will put it into practice multiple times,” Carney said.

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Carney spent a packed day on Thursday meeting with top Saudi government and business officials before having lunch with the crown prince at the royal palace. There was a signing ceremony for several new deals at the Saudi Arabia-Canada Investment Forum, where the prime minister was joined by cabinet members François-Philippe Champagne, Anita Anand and David McGuinty.

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Carney is leaving the country on Friday with Canadian and Saudi businesses having signed 13 new commercial agreements across a variety of sectors, including education, critical minerals, mining and artificial intelligence, but also a commitment that Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund will attend the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto in September.

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Canada, for its part, will participate in Expo 2030 in Riyadh, which Carney said will showcase “the best” of Canada.

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“We barely scratched the potential of the relationship,” said Carney in public remarks before the signing ceremony. “Today is part of the next phase of building out.”

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Saudi Arabia spared no effort in making the Canadian delegation feel welcome. From the moment the Royal Canadian Air Force landed in Jeddah, the prime minister was greeted by top Saudi officials, both countries’ ambassadors, and rows of Saudi armed forces. On the runway and outside of the airport, Canadian and Saudi flags were flapping side by side.

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But not everything was as friendly: media access was severely restricted during Thursday’s events, with most reporters only having access to Carney during his closing press conference in the evening, indicating the two countries’ approaches to a free press.

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Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said the goal of the trip was twofold: to increase the bilateral relationship between Canada and Saudi Arabia, but also to stand in solidarity with partners in the Gulf region as they face “unjustified attacks by Iran.” One of the targets hit by Tehran in the Strait of Hormuz this week was a Saudi crude tanker. Carney on Wednesday had said Iran acted “irresponsibly” in violating a ceasefire agreement.

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“The feeling on the ground here in Saudi Arabia is very much one about seeing Canada as being a supportive partner in these very difficult times,” Anand told reporters.