Canada’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia stated on Sunday the embassy in Riyadh stays open for Canadians in want of consular help, which got here as Ottawa condemned Houthi assaults on the worldwide airport in Riyadh.
Ambassador Jean-Philippe Linteau stated in a video on Sunday that anybody in Riyadh who encounters navy particles ought to stroll away and make contact with authorities, and never submit about it on social media.
The Saudi-led coalition preventing Houthi rebels in Yemen stated one other projectile hit a passenger terminal on the Riyadh airport on Sunday. That comes only a day after a missile assault on the identical terminal killed 12 folks and injured lots of extra.
Canada issued a journey advisory to keep away from all non-essential journey to Saudi Arabia, and to keep away from all journey to the King Khalid Worldwide Airport in Riyadh.
Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the violence late Saturday evening, calling the Houthis’ assaults on civilian infrastructure “abhorrent” and unjustified.
“Canada condemns these reckless acts of violence within the strongest attainable phrases,” the prime minister stated in his social media submit.
“We lengthen our deepest condolences to the households of these killed and want a full restoration to these injured.”
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The airport remained closed Sunday and flight-tracking web sites confirmed no air visitors round Riyadh on Sunday.
The newest strike in Riyadh got here shortly after the Houthis blamed the Saudis for a strike towards an airport in Sanaa, Yemen.
The assaults mark an escalation within the broader Iran struggle within the Center East.
U.S. President Donald Trump has stated on Saturday he’s weighing whether or not to affix the battle towards the Houthis and stated he plans to speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Overseas Affairs Minister Anita Anand posted on social media on Saturday that she has been in touch with Saudi Overseas Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud.
She stated she conveyed Canada’s “unwavering assist for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity.”
Jeffrey Steiner, head of the Canada-Saudi Enterprise Council, stated in an interview that it’s essential Ottawa condemns the violence, and strikes to strengthen ties in the long run with the important thing regional financial and safety associate.
“It’s fairly a horrible expertise, clearly for the households of those that’ve been killed, and it creates not less than a short-term pause or concern about security and business exercise,” he stated.
“We don’t know the way lengthy this may go on, however the Canadian authorities and diplomats have condemned the Houthis for this type of exercise at civilian targets.”
The assaults come because the World Petroleum Congress kicked off on Sunday in Saudi Arabia’s capital.
One other main enterprise occasion, the Future Funding Initiative — a high-profile funding summit typically referred to as “Davos within the desert” — is scheduled to happen towards the top of the month.
Steiner stated he and different Canadian companies nonetheless plan to attend that main enterprise discussion board, which is tied to transferring forward Saudi Imaginative and prescient 2030 — an financial highway map for the Kingdom to draw funding and diversify its economic system.
“We’ll have to observe every day within the brief time period,” Steiner stated.
“The long run imaginative and prescient of 2030 has every kind of Canadian alternative to take part in that. Saudi desires to diversify its economic system away from oil and Canada desires to diversify its markets, in a approach away from the USA, or not less than have broader markets and decisions.”
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is anticipated to steer a delegation of Canadian pension funds within the comings months to Saudi Arabia to debate funding alternatives.
– With information from The Related Press
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