The Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, met with Majid bin Abdullah Al-Kassabi, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Commerce, during his visit to the Gulf with a Canadian delegation of high-level business leaders.
The ministers discussed trade diversification and commercial opportunities for Canadian and Saudi Arabian businesses. Minister Sidhu highlighted Canada's support for Saudi Arabia's ambitious Vision 2030 goals, noting opportunities for Canadian firms to provide their expertise in mining, renewable energy, agriculture, and large-scale infrastructure projects.
The ministers also discussed opportunities for collaboration in energy and mining, recognizing Saudi Arabia as a key partner in expanding the global supply of minerals essential to clean energy technologies and advanced manufacturing.
Minister Sidhu welcomed the recent expansion of the Canada-Saudi Arabia Air Transport Agreement, which increases passenger services and all-cargo capacity to deepen commercial ties. He also welcomed the launch of negotiations toward a foreign investment promotion and protection agreement and expressed Canada's desire that these negotiations lead to an expeditious and mutually beneficial agreement.
