Riyadh halts fresh trade ties and warns Ottawa it may take further action
Saudi Arabia has expelled the Canadian ambassador and suspended new trade and investment with Ottawa after Canada’s foreign ministry urged Riyadh to release arrested civil rights activists.
The Saudi foreign ministry has given Dennis Horak 24 hours to leave the country and recalled its own ambassador to Canada, saying that it retained “its rights to take further action”.
“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia ... will not accept interference in its internal affairs or imposed diktats from any country,” the ministry tweeted. “The Canadian position is an overt and blatant interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of #SaudiArabia and is in contravention of the most basic international norms and all the charters governing relations between states.”
Saudi state television later reported that the education ministry was coming up with an “urgent plan” to move thousands of Saudi scholarship students out of Canadian schools to take classes in other countries. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates publicly backed Saudi Arabia in the dispute.
The dispute is believed to have been initiated by Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s 32-year-old crown prince, whose recent foreign policy exploits include the war in Yemen and alleged orchestration of the Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri’s resignation during a visit to the kingdom. Hariri later rescinded the surprise resignation and returned to Beirut.
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On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch said Saudi Arabia had arrested the women’s rights activists Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah. The arrests were the latest in a government crackdown on activists, clerics and journalists. More than a dozen women’s rights activists have been targeted since May.
Most of those arrested campaigned for the right to drive and an end to the country’s male guardianship system, which requires women to obtain the consent of a male relative for major decisions.
On Friday, Canada said it was gravely concerned about the arrests, including Badawi’s. Her brother Raif Badawi, a dissident blogger, has been imprisoned since 2012. His wife, Ensaf Haidar, lives in Canada and recently became a Canadian citizen.
Analysts described the dispute as part of a wider pushback against external criticism, noting the ultraconservative kingdom’s newly aggressive foreign policy.
“This message is obviously not just being sent to Ottawa,” said Giorgio Cafiero, the chief executive of Gulf State Analytics, a Washington-based risk consultancy. “It’s a message to countries across Europe and across the rest of the world that criticism of Saudi Arabia has consequences.”
Germany similarly has found itself targeted by the kingdom in recent months over comments by its officials on the Saudi-led war in Yemen, while in 2015, Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador to Sweden and stopped issuing work visas for Swedes after the country’s foreign affairs minister criticised a court decision concerning Raif Badawi.
Ali Shihabi, the founder of the Washington-based Arabia Foundation, pointed to domestic concerns in both Canada and Saudi Arabia to explain the row. Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau – under fire for signing off on the sale of more than 900 armoured vehicles to Riyadh – is looking to “defend himself from criticism by grandstanding and issuing tough statements,” Shihabi said in an email.
The crown prince, on the other hand, “sees himself as managing an unprecedented and delicate reform process and doesn’t want outside denunciations making it more difficult, let alone from allies who are beneficiaries of Saudi monies”.
Shihabi said Riyadh’s actions suggest authorities are more concerned about managing the politics surrounding the reform process than public relations.
In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry said it confirmed the kingdom’s commitment to refrain from intervening in the internal matters of other countries, including Canada, and in return rejected any intervention in its domestic affairs and internal relations with its citizens.
“Any further step from the Canadian side in that direction will be considered as acknowledgment of our right to interfere in the Canadian domestic affairs,” it said.
Soon after, a surge of Saudi Twitter accounts began expressing concerns over Canada’s treatment of indigenous peoples and support for Quebec’s sovereignty movement, as first reported by Buzzfeed. Others noted the striking similarity in the language being used in the tweets.
Normally, any dispute between Saudi Arabia and Canada would see the United States side with its northern neighbour. But as Bessma Momani, a political science professor at Canada’s University of Waterloo, noted, the kingdom has enjoyed closer relations with Donald Trump, while the American president has taken aim at Trudeau.
“But is Trump relishing in this attempt to slight Trudeau? Did Saudis clear this with DC first?,” she wrote on Twitter. “Odd questions to ask, but we live in odd times.”
On Monday, a spokeswoman for the Canadian foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, said Canada was “seriously concerned” by Saudi Arabia’s actions.
“Canada will always stand up for the protection of human rights, very much including women’s rights, and freedom of expression around the world,” she said. “Our government will never hesitate to promote these values and believes that this dialogue is critical to international diplomacy.”
Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
Image copyright AFP Image caption Samar Badawi, pictured here with Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, received an International Women of Courage Award in 2012
Saudi Arabia has said it is freezing all new trade with Canada and expelling its ambassador over its "interference" in the kingdom's domestic affairs.
A Saudi foreign ministry statement said it considered Canada's call last week for the release of detained civil society and women's rights activists a violation of Saudi sovereignty.
Those held include the Saudi-American human rights campaigner Samar Badawi.
Canada said it was seeking clarification on the Saudi statement.
But foreign ministry spokeswoman Marie-Pier Baril stressed that Canada would "always stand up for the protection of human rights, very much including women's rights, and freedom of expression around the world".
"Our government will never hesitate to promote these values and believes that this dialogue is critical to international diplomacy," she added.
The leading Saudi women's rights campaigner Manal al-Sharif thanked Canada for "speaking up" and asked when other Western powers would do the same.
Who is being held?
Last Tuesday, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said at least 15 human rights defenders and women's rights activists critical of the Saudi government had been arrested or detained arbitrarily since 15 May.
Eight of them are believed to have been released pending "procedural reviews", but the whereabouts of several others are unknown.
Among those reportedly still being held are Hatoon al-Fassi, a leading voice for women's participation in civil life; human rights defender Khaled al-Omair; women's rights activists Loujain al-Hathloul, Eman al-Nafjan, Aziza al-Yousef, Nouf Abdulaziz and Mayaa al-Zahrani; Ms Hathloul's 80-year-old lawyer, Ibrahim al-Modaimeegh; and the activist Abdulaziz Meshaal.
Several of those detained have been accused of serious crimes, including "suspicious contact with foreign parties", and could face up to 20 years in prison.
Human rights groups reported that Ms Badawi was also detained last week, along with fellow women's rights campaigner Nassima al-Sadah.
Ms Badawi was given the US International Women of Courage Award in 2012 and is known for challenging Saudi Arabia's male guardianship system. She is the sister of the imprisoned blogger Raif Badawi, whose wife Ensaf Haidar lives in Canada and recently became a Canadian citizen.
What did Canada say?
Image copyright AFP Image caption Chrystia Freeland called for the release of Samar Badawi and her brother Raif
Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland wrote on Twitter on Thursday that she was "very alarmed" to learn that Ms Badawi had been detained.
"Canada stands together with the Badawi family in this difficult time, and we continue to strongly call for the release of both Raif and Samar Badawi."
The next day, the Canadian foreign ministry called for their "immediate release".
Skip Twitter post by @CanadaFP Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in #SaudiArabia, including Samar Badawi. We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful #humanrights activists. — Foreign Policy CAN (@CanadaFP) August 3, 2018 Report
How did Saudi Arabia react?
The Saudi foreign ministry statement expressed "disbelief [at] this negative unfounded comment, which was not based [on] any accurate or true information".
It insisted the activists were being detained lawfully and that the Canadian statements represented "blatant interference in the kingdom's domestic affairs" and "a major, unacceptable affront to the kingdom's laws and judicial process".
The ministry recalled its ambassador to Canada for consultations and declared the Canadian ambassador persona non grata, giving him 24 hours to leave.
Saudi Arabia would also "put on hold all new business and investment transactions with Canada while retaining its right to take further action", it said. Trade between the two countries was worth $3bn (£2.3bn) in 2016.
The BBC's Martin Patience in Beirut says the surprise expulsion of the Canadian ambassador highlights the increasingly aggressive - and at times erratic - foreign policy being pursued by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
He has introduced a raft of headline-grabbing reforms, such as lifting the ban on women being allowed to drive. But, our correspondent adds, during the recent crackdown on activists he has also shown that he will not tolerate dissent.
The rich kids of Saudi Arabia know how to live, and they love to flaunt their luxurious lifestyles all over social media.
SAUDI Arabia said Monday it was expelling the Canadian ambassador and had recalled its envoy while freezing all new trade, in protest at Ottawa’s vigorous calls for the release of jailed activists.
The kingdom gave the Canadian ambassador 24 hours to leave the country, in an abrupt rupture of relations over what it slammed as “interference” in its internal affairs.
The move, which underscores a newly aggressive foreign policy led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, comes after Canada demanded the immediate release of human rights campaigners swept up in a recent crackdown.
“The Canadian position is an overt and blatant interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the Saudi foreign ministry tweeted.
“The kingdom announces that it is recalling its ambassador to Canada for consultation. We consider the Canadian ambassador to the kingdom persona non grata and order him to leave within the next 24 hours.”
“The Canadian position is a grave and unacceptable violation of the Kingdom’s laws and procedures. In addition to violate the Kingdom’s judiciary and a breach of the principle of sovereignty.
“KSA through its history has not and will not accept any form of interfering in the internal affairs of the Kingdom. The KSA considers the Canadian position an attack on the KSA and requires a firm stance to deter who attempts to undermine the sovereignty of the KSA.
“Any other attempt to interfere with our internal affairs from #Canada, means that we are allowed to interfere in Canada’s internal affairs.”
#Statement | The negative and surprising attitude of #Canada is an entirely false claim and utterly incorrect. — Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) August 5, 2018
The ministry also announced “the freezing of all new trade and investment transactions with Canada while retaining its right to take further action”.
Canada last week said it was “gravely concerned” over a new wave of arrests of women and human rights campaigners in the kingdom, including award-winning gender rights activist Samar Badawi.
Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in #SaudiArabia, including Samar Badawi. We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful #humanrights activists. — Foreign Policy CAN (@CanadaFP) August 3, 2018
The move on Sunday came after Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland tweeted on Thursday that Canada was “very alarmed” to learn Saudi authorities have arrested Samar Badawi, the sister of jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, along with prominent activist Nassima al-Sada.
“Canada stands together with the Badawi family in this difficult time, and we continue to strongly call for the release of both Raif and Samar Badawi,” Freeland tweeted.
“We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful #humanrights activists,” the foreign ministry tweeted on Friday.
Badawi was arrested along with fellow campaigner Nassima al-Sadah last week, the latest victims of what Human Rights Watch called an “unprecedented government crackdown on the women’s rights movement”.
The arrests come weeks after more than a dozen women’s right campaigners were detained and accused of undermining national security and collaborating with enemies of the state. Some have since been released.
The Saudi foreign ministry voiced anger over the Canadian statement. “Using the phrase ‘immediately release’ in the Canadian statement is very unfortunate, reprehensible, and unacceptable in relations between States,” the ministry tweeted.
Prince Mohammed, heir to the region’s most powerful throne, has introduced a string of reforms such as lifting a decades-long ban on women drivers in a bid to improve the kingdom’s austere image as it prepares for a post-oil era.
But the 32-year-old has simultaneously pursued an aggressive foreign policy, while cracking down on dissent and cementing his grip on power.
“The rupture in Saudi diplomatic relations with Canada reinforces how the ‘new’ Saudi Arabia that Mohammed bin Salman is putting together is in no mood to tolerate any form of criticism of its handling of domestic affairs,” said Kristian Ulrichsen, a fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute in the US.
In April, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his “serious concern” over the continued jailing of Badawi to Saudi King Salman.
Badawi’s wife Ensaf Haidar has been granted asylum by Canada, where she is raising their three children now aged 14, 13 and 10 as a single mother.
Riyadh’s expulsion of the Canadian ambassador was meant to send a strong message to other critical Western governments, observers say.
“Canada is easier to cut ties with than the rest,” Bessma Momani, a professor at Canada’s University of Waterloo, told AFP.
“There isn’t a strong bilateral trade relationship and poking the Trudeau government likely resonates with Saudi’s hawkish regional allies. At jeopardy, are the tens of thousands of Saudi students in Canada.”
Saudi Arabia has given the Canadian ambassador to the kingdom 24 hours to leave after Ottawa criticised the arrest of women’s rights activists in the ultra-conservative country.
The Saudi foreign ministry also said it was freezing "all new business" between the two states and had withdrawn its own ambassador.
"Any other attempt to interfere with our internal affairs from Canada means that we are allowed to interfere in Canada’s internal affairs,” it declared in an extraordinary statement on Sunday night.
The spat comes after Canada’s diplomatic department tweeted about the detention of two more activists in the Middle Eastern country on Friday, the latest in a crackdown which began in May.
“Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia, including Samar Badawi,” it posted. “We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful human rights activists."
Ms Badawi, arrested last week, is a lawyer and sister to blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison in 2012 for criticising clerics. His wife Ensaf Haidar and three children now live in Quebec.
Her whereabouts, and those of Nassima al-Sadah, are currently unknown. Several other prominent female activists remain in prison near Jeddah, where no charges have been brought against them.
In a statement following the latest arrests, Marie-Pier Baril, a spokesperson for Canadian foreign minister Chrystia Freeland, said: "Canada will always stand up for the protection of human rights, very much including women's rights, and freedom of expression around the world.
"Our government will never hesitate to promote these values and believes that this dialogue is critical to international diplomacy."
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One firefighter has died and at least two others have been injured as wind-whipped flames tore through the region Getty 12/51 26 July 2018 Supporters of Pakistan's cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan, and head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) party, celebrate in Karachi, a day after a general election. Imran Khan claimed victory in the country's tense general election marred by allegations of "blatant" rigging by rival parties. A visibly tired Khan cut a conciliatory tone in a wide-ranging address to the nation following the controversial contest AFP/Getty 13/51 25 July 2018 A man who was injured in a suspected suicide bomb attack outside a polling station, receives medical treatment at a hospital in Quetta. At least 25 people were killed and 30 injured in the incident. Polling stations in Pakistan opened for the general election for around 105 million constituents. Voters will have to choose from 11,000 candidates to elect 272 members of the Parliament for the next term. These elections are the second in Pakistan's history in which a government was able to complete its term to make way for another government after being ruled by military dictators for half of the 71 years of its existence since its founding in 1947 EPA 14/51 24 July 2018 A woman reacts as she tries to find her dog, following a wildfire at the village of Mati, near Athens, Greece. At least 60 people are thought to have been killed Reuters 15/51 23 July 2018 A house is threatened by a huge blaze during a wildfire in Kineta, near Athens. More than 300 firefighters, five aircraft and two helicopters were mobilised to tackle the "extremely difficult" situation due to strong gusts of wind, Athens fire chief Achille Tzouvaras said AFP/Getty 16/51 22 July 2018 Israeli-annexed Golan Heights shows a smoke plume rising across the border in Quneitra in southwestern Syria, as rebels destroy their arms stocks prior to their departure Getty 17/51 21 July 2018 A Syrian child looks through the window of a bus as displaced people from the Quneitra province wait at the Morek crossing point to be transfered in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo, northwestern Syria. The transfers come under a surrender deal agreed this week between Russia and Syrian rebels in Quneitra province that will see the sensitive zone fall back under state control. Rebels will hand over territory they control in Quneitra and the neighbouring buffer zone with the Israeli-occupied Golan, a war monitor and a rebel AFP/Getty 18/51 20 July 2018 Men push a car past a flooded street in Ahmadabad, India. Hundreds of people have been rescued from flood affected areas in the past week as incessant rains continue to lash Gujarat state AP 19/51 19 July 2018 Arab lawmakers stand up in protest during a Knesset session in Jerusalem. Israel's parliament approved a controversial piece of legislation that defines the country as the nation-state of the Jewish people but which critics warn sidelines minorities AP 20/51 18 July 2018 The 12 boys and their soccer coach who were rescued from a flooded cave arrive for a news conference in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand Reuters 21/51 17 July 2018 President Barack Obama delivers the 16th Nelson Mandela annual lecture, marking the centenary of the anti-apartheid leader's birth, in Johannesburg, South Africa Reuters 22/51 16 July 2018 French supporters celebrate on the Champs Elysees their team's victory after the World Cup 2018 final between France and Croatia EPA 23/51 15 July 2018 Hugo Lloris lifts the trophy after France beat Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup final in the Luzhniki Stadium in Russia AP 24/51 14 July 2018 Germany's Angelique Kerber beat seven-time champion US player Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final. Kerber won her first Wimbledon title PA 25/51 13 July 2018 Firefighters using fire helicopters fighting wildfires in Sordal in Setesdalen in the southern part of Norway. The fires are thought to be caused by lightning in the very dry landscape EPA 26/51 12 July 2018 The Syrian national flag rises in the midst of damaged buildings in Daraa-al-Balad an opposition-held part of the southern city of Daraa. Syria's army entered rebel-held parts of Daraa city, state media said, raising the national flag in the cradle of the uprising that sparked the country's seven-year war, following a deal for rebels to hand over their heavy weapons in Daraa al-Balad and other opposition-held parts of the city AFP 27/51 11 July 2018 US President Donald Trump and Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attend a bilateral breakfast ahead of the NATO Summit in Brussels Reuters 28/51 10 July 2018 The last four Thai Navy SEALs come out safely after completing the rescue mission inside a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand. Thailand's navy SEALs say all 12 boys and their soccer coach have been rescued from a flooded cave in far northern Thailand, ending an ordeal that lasted more than two weeks Royal Thai Navy via AP 29/51 9 July 2018 Indonesia worker and firefighters try to extinguish a fire on fishing boats at Benoa harbour in Denpasar, on Indonesia's resort island of Bali. A massive fire laid waste to dozens of boats at a Bali port as firefighters battled to bring the dramatic blaze under control Getty 30/51 8 July 2018 Russia's football team are greeted celebrated by fans during a visit at the Moscow's fan zone after they were knocked out of the World Cup in their quarter final match against Croatia on penalties Getty 31/51 7 July 2018 Residents look over the flooded town by heavy rain in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, western Japan. Heavy rainfall killed 47 people, missing more than 49 people and five others in serious condition in southwestern and western Japan, public television reported on 07 July 2018. Japan Meteorological Agency has warned record rainfall on 06 July for flooding, mudslides in southwestern and western Japan. In nine prefectures in western and southwestern Japan, authorities issued evacuation orders to more than one million of people in southwestern and western Japan EPA 32/51 6 July 2018 An honour guard hold up a picture of Samarn Kunan, 38, a former member of Thailand's elite navy SEAL unit who died working to save 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped inside a flooded cave, at an airport in Rayong province, Thailand Reuters 33/51 5 July 2018 The International Space Station, center, passes in front of the Moon in its Earth orbit as photographed from Salgotarjan, Hungary MTI via AP 34/51 4 July 2018 Former Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak (C) arrives at Kuala Lumpur High Court in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak appeared in court to face graft charges linked to the the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal EPA 35/51 3 July 2018 Rescue workers come out from the Tham Luang cave complex, as members of under-16 soccer team and their coach have been found alive according to a local media's report, in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand Reuters 36/51 2 July 2018 Firefighters scramble to control flames surrounding a fire truck as the Pawnee fire jumps across highway 20 near Clearlake Oaks, California Getty 37/51 1 July 2018 Presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador greets supporters as he arrives at a polling station during the presidential election in Mexico City Reuters 38/51 30 June 2018 North Korea leader Kim Jong Un inspects Unit 1524 of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA via Reuters 39/51 29 June 2018 Mount Agung's crater glows red from the lava as it spews volcanic smoke on Bali Island. The Indonesian tourist island closed its international airport, stranding thousands of travelers, as the Mount Agung volcano gushed a 2,500-meter (8,200-feet) column of ash and smoke AP 40/51 28 June 2018 The remains of market stalls smoulder after a fire swept through a marketplace in Nairobi, Kenya. Several people have died in the fire and about 70 are receiving hospital treatment, with rescue teams left searching through the scene AP 41/51 27 June 2018 Smoke rises in the rebel-held town of Nawa in southern Syria during airstrikes by Syrian regime forces. Syria's army launched an assault on the flashpoint southern city of Daraa state media said, after a week of deadly bombardment on the nearby countryside caused mass displacement. Government forces have set their sights on retaking the south of the country, a strategic area that borders Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights Getty 42/51 26 June 2018 French President Emmanuel Macron greets Pope Francis at the end of a private audience at the Vatican Getty 43/51 25 June 2018 The frame of an abandoned Peugeot 404 rests in Niger's Tenere desert region of the south central Sahara on Sunday, June 3, 2018. Once a well-worn roadway for overlander tourists, the highway 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) are a favored path for migrants heading north in hopes of a better life and more recently thousands who are being expelled south from Algeria AP 44/51 24 June 2018 Saudi women celebrate after they drove their cars in Al Khobar after the law allowing women to drive took effect. Saudi Arabia will allow women to drive from June 24, ending the world's only ban on female motorists Reuters 45/51 23 June 2018 People gather as the injured are helped by medics at the scene of an explosion during a rally to support the country's new reformist prime minister Abiy Ahmed in Meskel Square in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Reports say the blast occurred shortly after he addressed thousands of his supporters. He then spoke to the crowd afterwards, saying a people had been killed EPA 46/51 22 June 2018 Participants of the Dark Mofo Nude Solstice Swim are seen in the River Derwent at dawn, in Hobart, Australia Reuters 47/51 21 June 2018 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participates in a mass yoga session along with other practitioners to mark International Yoga Day at the Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehradun. Tens of thousands of yoga practitioners worldwide on June 21 are expected to celebrate the fourth annual International Yoga Day, first proposed by the Indian PM in 2014 to the UN General Assembly and adopted unanimously Getty 48/51 20 June 2018 A woman and child are told they will have to wait before crossing the US border as confusion sets in following the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy on immigration Getty 49/51 19 June 2018 People wave a banner with a picture of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a gathering of supporters of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Istanbul, Turkey,. Turkish President Erdogan announced on 18 April that Turkey will hold snap presidential and parliamentary elections on 24 June 2018, after elections were scheduled to be held in November 2019 EPA 50/51 18 June 2018 Residents pass by a temple gate collapsed by an earthquake in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, western Japan. The earthquake, which struck western Japan, killed three people and injured more than 50 EPA 51/51
The announcement caught Riyadh's diplomatic community off guard, a source with knowledge of the situation told Reuters, noting that both the Saudi and Canadian ambassadors were away on leave when it was made.
Saudi Arabia ended its almost 30-year-old ban on women driving in June. The huge leap forward for women's rights in the country was marred, however, by a spate of arrests of civil society activists, which analysts said was intended as a signal that only King Salman and his powerful son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, would decide the pace of modernisation in the country.
It was not immediately clear on Monday what new Saudi-Canada business would be affected by the announced freeze but trade between the two nations reached $3 billion (£2.3 billion) in 2016, according to the Press Association, with tanks among Canada’s top exports to the kingdom and oil among its biggest imports.
Saudi neighbour and ally Bahrain said it supported Riyadh's decision, but it was not immediately clear whether it would also sever business ties with Canada.
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 encompasses a host of social and economic reforms which have been unveiled since Mohammed bin Salman was appointed crown prince by his father last June. The moves are designed to eventually wean the kingdom off dependence on oil.
The 32-year-old has reined in the power of the country's notorious religious police, reopened cinemas and promised a return to a more “moderate” Islam.
Critics have said the reforms are a carrot for the Saudi public ahead of the economic hardship they inevitably face in future and point out the decrees do not go as far as addressing the kingdom’s strict laws on freedom of expression, assembly, or the liberal use of capital punishment.
“Canadian foreign minister Freeland’s tweet calling for women’s rights activists to be released was by no means interference in Saudi Arabia’s internal affairs. It was a defence of universal human rights agreed to globally and binding on Saudi Arabia,” Middle East Director of Campaigns at Amnesty International, Samah Hadid, told The Independent.
“Saudi Arabia’s response should be to end its crackdown on human rights activists and free the women human rights defenders and all other prisoners of conscience, not to lash out with punitive diplomatic and trade sanctions.
“Now is the time for other governments, like the UK and US to join Canada in increasing the pressure for genuine, lasting human rights reforms in Saudi Arabia.”
The kingdom has also been embroiled in diplomatic rows with Germany and Sweden in recent years after official criticism of its foreign policy and human rights record.
News agencies contributed to this report
