Free Republic

Saudi Arabia is ordering its citizens to leave Canada, selling its financial assets there and freezing trade between the two countries as part of an extraordinary diplomatic spat that has brought into global view the kingdom’s extreme sensitivity to Western criticism. The steps follow the Canada’s foreign ministry’s chastising Saudi Arabia for its recent arrest of human-rights activists. Canada’s foreign ministry, in a Twitter message sent on Friday, called on Saudi authorities to “immediately release” the activists. The Saudi government rejected what it described as Canada’s unacceptable interference in its domestic affairs, and on Monday expelled the Canadian ambassador to...

The Saudi Arabian government plans to withdraw all Saudi students studying at Canadian universities, colleges and other schools in retaliation for Canada criticizing the country’s human-rights record. A Saudi government source, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said there are more than 15,000 Saudis here on government-funded scholarships, grants or in trainee programs. Accompanying family members bring the number to 20,000 or more. The Saudi students will be moved immediately to study programs in other countries with similar education systems, such as Britain or the United States, the Saudi official said. Separately, Saudi Arabian Airlines, via the...

Saudi Arabia has ordered Canadian ambassador Dennis Horak to leave the kingdom within 24 hours (David Kawai/The Canadian Press via AP) Saudi Arabia has ordered the Canadian ambassador to leave the ultraconservative kingdom within 24 hours after his nation criticised the recent arrest of women’s rights activists. The Saudi Foreign Ministry also said it would freeze “all new business” between the kingdom and Canada. Some 10% of Canadian crude oil imports come from Saudi Arabia. Canadian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was not immediately clear if Ambassador Dennis Horak was in the kingdom. “Any...