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Carney accepts invitation to visit Saudi Arabia ‘in the future’ amid diplomatic thaw
Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to visit Saudi Arabia after accepting an invitation from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marking the first such visit by a sitting Canadian prime minister in over twenty years.
Canada and Saudi Arabia restored diplomatic ties in May 2023 by appointing ambassadors and agreeing to move past a 2018 dispute stemming from Canadian criticism of Saudi justice and women's treatment.
Carney has focused on the Persian Gulf region to attract investment and has visited Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the past year.
Despite controversies including U.S. intelligence implicating Prince Mohammed in Jamal Khashoggi's 2018 murder, Saudi Arabia remains closely allied with Washington while Canada offers support to Gulf states amid regional tensions.