Overview
- Smith disclosed the arrangement during budget questioning at a legislative committee, saying her office had not previously detailed the flight.
- The trip in late October and early November pursued talks on energy development and artificial intelligence in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
- She said private aircraft and hosted lodging were cleared in advance by Alberta’s ethics commissioner and were proposed to enable efficient movement to sites with limited commercial service.
- Her meetings included Saudi energy minister Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, officials in the UAE, an OPEC representative and Doug Burgum.
- Opposition leader Naheed Nenshi estimated taxpayer costs at about $64,000, flagged missing receipts, questioned the need for a Riyadh–Dubai private leg, and asked that the ethics correspondence be tabled; he also pressed her on nearly $20,000 spent on a 2025 Florida gala appearance with Ben Shapiro.