Adel al-Jubeir

After Canada called for the release of human rights activists in 2018, Riyadh expelled the Canadian ambassador, froze new trade relations and adopted other measures. Adel al-Jubeir publicly defended the response, saying there was "nothing to negotiate" and that Canada must correct what Riyadh regarded as interference.

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After Jamal Khashoggi's murder, Adel al-Jubeir defended the official Saudi account that the killing resulted from a rogue operation carried out without the Crown Prince's knowledge, while official explanations evolved as new revelations emerged. In July 2022, following the Biden–Mohammed bin Salman meeting in Jeddah, al-Jubeir said he had not heard Biden make certain remarks personally attributing responsibility for the murder to the Crown Prince; Biden publicly replied that this account was inaccurate.

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During the rupture with Qatar in 2017, Adel al-Jubeir was one of the principal spokespeople for the Saudi position. He demanded that Doha end its support for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, among others, and defended the pressure measures imposed by Riyadh and its allies, which deeply divided the Gulf until reconciliation in 2021.

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Al-Jubeir publicly maintained that Assad must leave power, through a political transition or, failing that, a military option, and confirmed Riyadh's support for the Syrian opposition. In 2018, he indicated that Saudi Arabia was discussing with Washington the deployment of forces to Syria as part of an expanded coalition. These positions fuelled controversy over the internationalisation of the conflict and foreign support for rebel forces.

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During US debate over the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), the New York Times reported that Adel al-Jubeir had warned Washington that Saudi Arabia might sell up to 750 billion dollars in US assets if the legislation exposed the kingdom to proceedings linked to 9/11. Al-Jubeir subsequently called reports presenting this as a threat of divestment "ridiculous", while warning that the law could undermine investor confidence and the principle of sovereign immunity.

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In 2016, Saudi Arabia suspended a 3-billion-dollar programme to equip the Lebanese army with French-made equipment, amid anger towards Beirut over its stance on Iran and Hezbollah. Al-Jubeir announced that the contracts would remain in place but that the Saudi army would become the recipient of the equipment.

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Following Saudi Arabia's execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr, which sparked strong regional protests, al-Jubeir defended the executions, described Nimr as a terrorist and announced the severing of diplomatic relations with Iran after the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran. Riyadh subsequently suspended air and commercial links with Iran.

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At the height of Malaysia's 1MDB controversy, al-Jubeir stated that sums paid into Prime Minister Najib Razak's account were a "genuine donation" from Saudi Arabia for which nothing was expected in return. The statement came under scrutiny because international investigations were examining the origins of billions of dollars linked to 1MDB and because earlier Saudi statements had been less categorical.

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