The one-time president of London-based Stevenson-Hunt Insurance, and more recently former London MP and cabinet minister Ed Holder is soon to depart on a week-long trip to Saudi Arabia where he will lead a delegation promoting trade with the Middle Eastern nation.

Holder, once president of London-based brokerage Stevenson-Hunt Insurance before going into politics, has already had cause to meet the Saudi ambassador during the time he was in cabinet, when he also served on Parliament’s international trade committee.

In his capacity of head of the 70-person Canadian delegation Holder will head up a group that includes representatives from health care, education, agriculture, mining, manufacturing and technology.

Holder, who was elected to parliament in the 2008 election, held the post of minister of state for science and technology in the last Harper cabinet, before losing his seat in the most recent federal election, in which the Liberals swept to power.

It was following the election that the former MP was contacted by the ambassador of the desert nation to take a volunteer post leading the Canada-Saudi Business Council. The council, of which Holder is the first chairperson, was formed nine months ago.

“If you want to be in position to have a positive impact on any country… the best way to do that is through trade,” said Holder.