The foreign ministers of Canada and Saudi Arabia met in Riyadh on Monday in a high-stakes diplomatic visit that produced a sweeping joint condemnation of Iran’s attacks on Gulf states — and a broad pledge to deepen bilateral economic, security, and technological ties between Ottawa and Riyadh across priority sectors.

The visit by The Honourable Anita Anand, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the Kingdom came amid intensifying regional conflict as U.S. and Israeli military operations continue against Iran. In meeting with His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud at the Saudi foreign ministry, Anand reaffirmed Canada’s solidarity with the Kingdom and praised Saudi Arabia for its assistance in facilitating the return of Canadian citizens caught in the conflict zone.

Iran Condemned — UN Resolution 2817 Cited

The most pointed section of the joint statement was a direct and explicit condemnation of Iran’s conduct — unusual in its specificity and firmness from a Western democracy not directly involved in the military campaign against Tehran.

The two ministers “exchanged views on regional challenges and condemned the destabilizing Iranian behavior in the region, including the Iranian attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, which threaten regional and international security,” the joint statement read.

The reference to UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026) is significant — it signals that both Canada and Saudi Arabia view Iran’s behavior as a matter of binding international law, not merely bilateral grievance, and frames any future accountability through the UN framework. Read FFN’s full Iran coverage: Trump Threatens to ‘Obliterate’ Iran’s Power Plants if Deal Not Reached.

50 Years of Ties — and a New Economic Agenda

Beyond the security dimension, both ministers affirmed what the statement described as “positive and growing momentum in bilateral relations, which have flourished for over 50 years” — underscoring that the Canada-Saudi partnership predates the current crisis and is being actively deepened even as the region burns.

The statement noted that bilateral trade exceeded SAR 12 billion in 2024 and recognized the efforts of the Canada-Saudi Business Council to enhance economic cooperation. Both ministers also noted progress in ongoing negotiations toward an Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Foreign Investment between the two countries.

In a symbolic timing detail, the second Canada-Saudi Arabia Education Partnership Forum convened in Toronto on the same day as the Riyadh meeting — a parallel signal that the relationship extends well beyond diplomatic formality into active institutional cooperation.

Priority Sectors for Expansion

Both ministers agreed to deepen bilateral ties across a wide range of sectors, reflecting the breadth of the partnership beyond traditional energy and defense cooperation:

Maritime Security & Critical Infrastructure

Among the areas of deepest concern in the joint statement was the call for “concerted international efforts to reduce tensions, enhance maritime and energy security, and protect critical infrastructure” — language that directly addresses the ongoing threat to the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf energy systems that underpin the global economy.

The statement did not specify what form joint Canada-Saudi action on maritime security might take, but the explicit inclusion of the language — alongside the condemnation of Iranian attacks — signals Ottawa is prepared to take a more active role in supporting Gulf security frameworks as the conflict evolves.