Saudi Ambassador to Canada Amal Almoalimi stated that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to the Kingdom during which several agreements and memoranda of understanding were announced represents the start of a new chapter in Saudi-Canadian cooperation according to the Saudi Press Agency. Almoalimi said in the statement that since diplomatic relations resumed and ambassadors were reappointed in 2023 bilateral ties have continued to gain momentum driven by mutual respect shared interests and both countries’ commitment to expanding cooperation. The ambassador added that she has worked since assuming her post in 2023 to strengthen this momentum by building close relationships with Canadian government entities the private sector and academic institutions while seeing a positive response from Canadian partners particularly the business community which has shown growing interest in investment and cooperation opportunities with the Kingdom.
Reciprocal visits by senior officials from both countries have reinforced momentum and expanded cooperation in the economic scientific and technology sectors the Saudi Press Agency reported. Saudi ministers of education industry and mineral resources investment and foreign affairs visited Canada recently to explore cooperation in priority sectors. The Kingdom hosted Canadian ministers of international trade artificial intelligence and digital innovation and foreign affairs before Carney arrived accompanied by the ministers of finance national defence and foreign affairs.
The Saudi-Canadian friendship committees in the Shura Council and the Canadian Parliament have now been officially activated to strengthen bilateral relations according to Almoalimi. The ambassador visited several Canadian provinces and attended graduation ceremonies for Saudi students to reaffirm the embassy’s commitment to supporting those studying in Canada. Almoalimi further noted that the Saudi Embassy has strengthened ties with Canadian universities and professional institutions including the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada to support cooperation in education training and professional accreditation.
Saudi Cultural Attache to the US and Canada Tahany Albaiz said the growing momentum in Saudi-Canadian relations has strengthened academic cooperation as reflected in the rising number of Saudi scholarship students and graduates in Canada according to the Saudi Press Agency. Albaiz noted that the number of Saudi physicians who have graduated or are expected to graduate in health and medical specialties in Canada increased by nearly 256 percent with graduates rising to 606 in 2025 from 170 in 2020. The cultural attache welcomed a new cohort of 61 Saudi scholarship students under the Pioneers Track for the 2025-2026 academic year who enrolled at universities ranked among the world’s top 15.
Global Affairs Canada figures show that Saudi Arabia was Canada’s second-largest trading partner in the Middle East in 2025 with merchandise trade totaling approximately 3.5 billion dollars including 1.3 billion dollars in Canadian exports. Top Canadian exports to the Kingdom include motor vehicles and parts industrial machinery pharmaceuticals and scientific instruments while energy products accounted for over 92 percent of imports from Saudi Arabia. The prime minister’s office reported that 13 new commercial agreements and memorandums of understanding worth over 1 billion dollars were signed during the visit spanning health technology mining infrastructure and defence.
These developments align with Saudi Vision 2030 which aims to diversify the economy away from oil and gas with the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund valued at an estimated over 1 trillion dollars serving as a key driver according to official Vision 2030 documents. Almoalimi highlighted investment opportunities in the Kingdom by showcasing the achievements of Saudi Vision 2030 and the attractive investment environment it offers in her statement to the Saudi Press Agency. Albaiz added that Canada remains one of the top destinations for Saudi students because of its advanced academic and healthcare systems particularly in medical education clinical training and scientific research.
Almoalimi concluded that the efforts mark a new phase in Saudi-Canadian relations built on sustainable partnerships stronger scientific and investment exchange and broader cooperation that serves the interests of both countries while supporting Saudi Vision 2030 and Canada’s efforts to diversify its international economic partnerships the Saudi Press Agency reported. The cultural attache pledged to continue supporting Saudi scholarship students throughout their academic journey and strengthening cooperation with Canadian universities and educational and healthcare institutions. Global Affairs Canada assessments place Canadian companies in a strong position to expand in sectors aligned with Vision 2030 including agriculture infrastructure artificial intelligence advanced technology life sciences education and mining.
