• Leadership asks Foreign Ministry to follow up on the affairs of citizens in Canada
• Saudis getting treatment in Canada being shifted to hospitals in other countries

Saudi Gazette report

Jeddah — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, have directed the Foreign Ministry to follow up on the affairs of Saudi citizens in Canada.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir said in a statement to Saudi Press Agency that after receiving the directives, the ministry opened two operations rooms in Ottawa and Riyadh.

He stressed the keenness of the ministry to do everything in its power to take care of the affairs of the Saudis abroad.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Health Attaché in the US and Canada, Dr. Fahd Al-Tamimi, said the Kingdom has stopped all treatment programs in Canada and is transferring all Saudi patients from Canadian hospitals to other hospitals outside Canada.

He said the mission seeks to ensure the safety of Saudi patients receiving treatment in Canada and to complete their treatment elsewhere.

The Saudi government on Sunday recalled its ambassador to Ottawa, barred Canada’s envoy from returning and placed a ban on new trade, denouncing Canada for statements about people detained on criminal charges. Riyadh said Ottawa was interfering in its internal affairs.

On Tuesday, Minister of Education Dr. Ahmed Al-Eissa assured Saudi scholarship students in Canada that the Kingdom has worked to provide all facilities for an easy transfer to universities in other countries.

Dr. Al-Eissa said in a tweet, “I would like to reassure our students in Canada that your government is keen on your academic future ... We will provide all possible facilities for your easy transfer to international or local universities...”

Saudi students studying in Canada now have the opportunity to transfer to 18 different countries to continue their studies “without being affected”, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Education for Scholarship, General Supervisor of Cultural Attachés Jasser Al-Harbash told Al Arabiya English on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, support for the Saudi stand continues to grow. Egypt on Wednesday affirmed its solidarity with the Kingdom.

Spokesman of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a press statement that his country stands firm in support of the stability and sovereignty of Arab countries, stressing the necessity of complying with the international norms and conventions governing relations between countries and respecting their sovereignty.