RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s technology and innovation partnership with Canada is set to receive a boost after senior ministers met to explore new avenues of cooperation and strengthen trade ties.
Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih said in a post on X that he met with Canada’s Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Evan Solomon to discuss ways to strengthen relations between the countries and to build partnerships that contribute to mutual economic growth, particularly in priority investment sectors.
This comes as trade between the two nations continues to expand. In February, Saudi Arabia exported SR641 million ($170 million) to Canada, marking an 86.6 percent increase from SR344 million in February 2024, according to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity.
It also follows an agreement in January 2024 for both countries to re-exchange trade delegations to enhance economic relations and boost trade and investment flows.
In a subsequent post on X, Al-Falih stated: “The dialogue took place between me and Anita Anand, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the presence of the Saudi ambassador to Canada, Amal Yahya Al-Moallimi.”
He added: “We discussed supporting and strengthening relations between our two countries, and facilitating investment exchange, in order to achieve more fruitful cooperation in the most important sectors, which will bring success to both peoples.”
Artificial intelligence has become a central pillar of Saudi Arabia’s post-oil economic strategy, with the Kingdom leveraging advanced technologies to drive data-led industries and automation.
Now at the halfway point of Vision 2030, the country is accelerating efforts to position itself as a global technology leader, balancing innovation with sustainability goals.
Key initiatives — including the Project Transcendence program, valued at around $100 billion — aim to further establish Saudi Arabia as a global hub for AI innovation.
Over the past five years, Saudi Arabia has made significant progress toward establishing itself as a regional artificial-intelligence hub. PwC projects that AI could contribute about $235 billion — or 12.4 percent — to the Kingdom’s gross domestic product by 2030.
