Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has declined Prime Minister Mark Carney’s invitation to attend the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, a Saudi diplomat informed Reuters.
This invitation was a move by Carney to re-engage nations with which Ottawa had previously experienced strained relations.
This invitation came two weeks after Carney and the Crown Prince held a phone call on May 29, to discuss “energy security, deepening bilateral trade and agreeing on the imperative of a sustainable peace in the Middle East.”
The call was seen as a symbolic gesture of reestablishing ties following years of strained relations.
Carney’s invite underscored the shift in tone since 2018, when relations between Ottawa and Riyadh collapsed after Canada publicly called for the release of jailed Saudi activists.
In response, Saudi Arabia expelled Canada’s ambassador, suspended trade, and halted state airline flights to Canadian cities.
Months later, the diplomatic fallout intensified after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which U.S. intelligence agencies under the Biden Administration alleged was approved by the Crown Prince himself.
Ottawa imposed sanctions on over a dozen Saudi nationals in the aftermath.
Formal relations began to normalize in 2023, with the reinstallation of ambassadors and the resumption of direct flights.
Now, the Carney-led Liberal government has taken further steps to reintegrate Riyadh into its diplomatic and economic priorities.
Last week Carney extended a G7 invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a diplomatic move that sparked uproar from pro-Khalistan groups based in Canada.