During the meeting, the Saudi government's detainment of human rights activist Raif Badawi was brought up. [90] Following the 2016 Saudi Arabia mass execution in which 47 civilians convicted of terrorism were executed, Stéphane Dion requested that Saudi Arabia respect due process and to follow international norms in regards to human rights.
One of its most important departments is its academic relations unit, which controls the submission of important documents to Canadian universities, such as transcripts and admission documents, and is also active in organizing official visits and signing cooperative agreements. Other departments of the SACB include an English language preparation unit and an admissions unit, which provides enrolment advice to Saudi students and monitors the status of admissions. [87] There were more than 15, 000 Saudi students in Canada in 2007, including 800 resident physicians and specialists who provided care to the Canadian population, offsetting Canadian aid to Saudis.
Also included under this deal is a 14-year provision of technical assistance. [2] This deal solidified Saudi Arabia as the second-largest export destination for Canadian arms after the US. [80] The CBC reported that the first shipment of vehicles would arrive in Saudi Arabia by 2017. [2] Although the deal was penned by Stephen Harper's Conservative government, Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave the go-ahead for the deal to proceed in April 2016 when he assigned permits allowing for the export of the vehicles. When Trudeau was confronted about the possibility of Saudi Arabia using the vehicles against its civilian population, he stated that he was obliged to respect the deal made by his predecessor. [81] In August 2017, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland initiated an investigation into Saudi usage of Canadian-made vehicles and in February 2018 the investigative team concluded that there was no definitive evidence that Saudi Arabia had ever inflicted human rights abuses using vehicles originating from Canada.
[91] Global Affairs Canada also voiced concerns over the possibility that these executions could renew sectarian friction in the Middle East. [92] See also[edit] List of ambassadors of Canada to Saudi Arabia Foreign relations of Canada Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia Human rights in Saudi Arabia Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Ottawa Saudi Canadians References[edit] ^ a b "Canada-Saudi Arabia Relations". Government of Canada. 26 August 2021.
[1] Much like Israel, most of the success of the former Canadian-Saudi relations was attributable to opposition to Iran and other countries in the region. On the bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia, economic and trade interests used to be at the forefront of all discussions and meetings. Several private Islamic schools in Canada have been directly financed by Saudi Arabia to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
[16] The Saudi government suspended all new trade and investment relations with Canada and expelled Canada's ambassador; it named Dennis Horak as persona non grata and gave him 24 hours to leave the country. Saudi Arabia also said it would recall its envoy to Canada temporarily but a statement said the country maintained "its right to take further action". [14][17] The Saudi freeze on all new trade with Canada included instructing staff to sell off all Canadian holdings, including equities, bonds and cash even if that means doing so at a loss. [18] Saudi Arabia announced on 8 August that it would put a halt to its medical programs in Canada and move all Saudi patients receiving care in Canadian hospitals to hospitals in other countries.
[88] In 2015, Saudi Arabian students represented 3% of total foreign students in Canada. [89] Official figures provided by the SACB indicated that in 2014 there were 16, 000 Saudi scholarship students in Canada and 1, 000 medical trainees. [3] In mid 2018, most educational ties were downgraded. Diplomatic relations[edit] Both countries maintain an embassy in the other's respective capital cities, with the embassy of Saudi Arabia to Canada based in Ottawa, and the embassy of Canada based in Riyadh. In a meeting held in Ottawa in December 2015, Canada's minister of foreign affairs Stéphane Dion met with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir to discuss matters pertaining to human rights in Saudi Arabia.
^ a b c Murray Brewster (19 March 2018). "Canada's arms deal with Saudi Arabia includes 'heavy assault' vehicles". CBC. Retrieved 7 August 2018. ^ a b c "Fast Facts". Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau in Canada. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2018. ^ "Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 on Twitter". Twitter.
9 million worth of humanitarian aid to Yemen. However, according to human rights groups the government has also sanctioned arms sale worth $6 billion since 2015 and $2. 7 billion in 2019 to Saudi Arabia. [85][86] Cultural relations[edit] The embassy of Saudi Arabia helps organize annual Saudi National Day celebrations in Ottawa; in collaboration with the Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau in Canada. [3] Educational exchange[edit] The Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau in Canada (SACB) whose head of mission is the Saudi Arabian cultural attaché, launched in May 1978 as a subsidiary of the Saudi Ministry of Education and is responsible for the management of Saudi students in Canada.
Full Scorecard of Canada vs Saudi Arabia, Desert Cup T20I
This has proved controversial, with detractors claiming that these schools can be used to propagate Saudi Arabia's strict form of Islam known as Wahhabism. [78] Military relations[edit] A LAV III operated by the Canadian Army. In 2014, both countries reached an agreement where Canada would supply Saudi Arabia with a variant of the LAV III known as the LAV VI. During the Gulf War, both Canadian and Saudi forces cooperated with the coalition forces to quell the invasion of Kuwait and the advancement of the Iraqi military.
Size of Saudi Arabia compared to Canada
[46] The 800 to 1000 medical trainees sponsored by Saudi Arabia, who were at the Resident and Fellow level, were providing direct care to Canadian patients at no cost to the healthcare system. Hospitals were uncertain as to how these services could be replaced if the trainees were to leave Canada. As of late August 2018, they were allowed to remain until "an alternative assignment can be arranged", according to the Saudi Ministry of Education. [47][48][49] International reaction[edit] After the incident, the Saudi government has received official backing from the vast majority of the Arab league, while Canada received support from some members of the European Parliament.
[54] Several countries indicated support for the measures taken by Saudi Arabia on 7 August, including the Palestinian Authority, [55] Jordan, [56] Djibouti, [57] Mauritania, [58] and Sudan. [59] On 8 August, three more countries professed solidarity with the Saudi position: Egypt, [60] Comoros, [61] and Lebanon. [62] Russia was critical of Canada, with Maria Zakharova of the Russian Foreign Ministry criticizing Canada for "politicizing human rights". [63] Official support for the Saudi position was also expressed by Pakistan. [64] and Somalia. [65] Oman and Kuwait reprimanded Canada for what they considered meddling, but also conveyed their desires for hasty resolution of the dispute. [66] Canada's NATO ally Turkey backed Saudi Arabia in its dispute with Canada, rejecting the Canadian actions as a "form of interference in other countries’ internal affairs".
Canada and Saudi Arabia Compared - NationMaster