EDMONTON -- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is rejecting Opposition accusations of entitlement for using a private jet courtesy of the Saudi government last fall.
Smith and members of her United Conservative Party government staff travelled to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for meetings about potential collaborations on issues, including energy development and artificial intelligence.
Smith says she's very transparent about her travel itineraries and that it's not unusual for the Alberta government to also charter flights for foreign dignitaries to tour the province's oilsands.
Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi lambasted the premier in the legislature, calling it inappropriate to accept gifts from a foreign government that are potentially worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Smith says the three flights were needed to make stops at a military air base, an oilfield and a refinery.
She has said she also stayed in accommodations provided by the Saudis, calling it social protocol, and that the hotel and flights were approved in advance by the ethics commissioner.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2026.