canada saudi arabia relations

 

L’Arabie saoudite est le premier exportateur de pétrole au monde. In this panel, we will primarily investigate Canada’s Middle East Strategy’s degree of success in providing humanitarian aid to the region. This position paper discusses Canada's complex and contradictory relationship with Saudi Arabia. info@peacediplomacy.org. Saudi Arabia’s decision to effectively downgrade diplomatic ties with Canada, cut cultural/student contacts and freeze commercial ties was not pre-meditated. Bill Law is a Middle East analyst. Moreover, the Liberal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces an election in the coming year and is loath to appear overly conciliatory on such issues. Military interventions, political and economic instabilities, and civil unrest in the Middle East have led to a global refugee crisis with an increasing wave of refugees and asylum seekers to Europe and Canada. The Middle East continues to grapple with violence and instability, particularly in Yemen, Syria and Iraq. Fueled by government incompetence and foreign interventions, terrorist insurgencies have imposed severe humanitarian and economic costs on the region. OTTAWA/RIYADH/DUBAI (Reuters) - For years, Canadian pressure on human rights in Saudi Arabia had elicited no more than a standard rejection. They ultimately succeeded in getting relations back on track through a combination of sustained, high-level diplomatic engagement, determined political will and creative diplomatic drafting of “non-apology apologies” that satisfied the needs of both sides. A dispute between Canada and Saudi Arabia that started with a tweet escalated to an all-out slanging match that has all but severed relations between the two countries entirely. With these new trends in the Middle East, it is timely to investigate the security implications of the Biden administration’s Middle East policy. Il détient 25% des réserves de pétrole connues dans le monde. Plus de 15,000 Saoudiens étudient au Canada, notamment 800 médecins résidents et spécialistes qui offrent ainsi leurs soins à la population canadienne. But there is a way forward and there is precedent. Erica Di Ruggiero: Director of Centre for Global Health, University of Toronto, Reyhana Patel: Head of Communications & Government Relations, Islamic Relief Canada, Amir Barmaki: Former Head of UN OCHA in Iran, Catherine Gribbin: Senior Legal Advisor for International and Humanitarian Law, Canadian Red Cross. Le Yémen, pour sa part, a une ambassade à Ottawa. Tehran has also provided sophisticated weaponry to various militia groups across the region to strengthen its geopolitical position against Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Israel. Le Canada est représenté au Yémen par son ambassade à Riyad, en Arabie saoudite. It’s been nearly two years since an ill-conceived tweet and Saudi Arabia’s massive over-reaction to it upended Canada-Saudi relations in August 2018. Canada has reportedly made efforts to repair the relationship, but with little success to date. In this respect, we will discuss the Biden team’s new approach vis-à-vis Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. While such communities are often underrepresented in the Canadian political process, they are significantly impacted by different social, political, and economic developments in the Middle East. In 2000, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien made a state visit to Saudi Arabia. En Arabie saoudite, le Canada est représenté par l’ambassade du Canada à Riyad. The abrupt derailment had all the hallmarks of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s (MBS) impulsive nature and hyper-sensitivity to criticism (international or domestic). Source: Arab News and more specifically, how Canada can utilize its policy instruments to more effectively deal with the increasing influx of refugees from the Middle East. It’s been nearly two years since an ill-conceived tweet and Saudi Arabia’s massive over-reaction to it upended Canada-Saudi relations in August 2018. The success of these and other Educational reforms will be a key element in the transformation of Saudi society over the longer term. – Ferry De Kerchove: Canada’s Former Ambassador to Egypt, – Dennis Horak: Canada’s Former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, – Bijan Ahmadi: Executive Director, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy, – David Dewitt: University Professor Emeritus, York University. The Canada Saudi Relationship The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a large, growing G20 economy that is undergoing rapid development, and with a young demographic and a growing middle class, has large and growing needs for goods, services and infrastructure (it is the world's 21st largest importer), and the means to pay for it (reserves of over $700 billion). Economic relations. Canada’s ability to actually have an impact and genuinely advance its values or human rights agenda in Saudi Arabia suffered. While the international community is concerned with Iran’s nuclear program, Saudi Arabia has moved forward with developing its own nuclear program, and independent studies show that Israel has longed possessed dozens of nuclear warheads. Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, said Canada was continuing to engage diplomatically and politically with Saudi Arabia. The relationship increased in February 2014 with the purchase of C$15 billion worth of Canadian arms by Saudi Arabia. Les relations bilatérales entre le Canada et l’Arabie saoudite comportent des intérêts communs sur bon nombre de questions relatives à la paix et à la sécurité, notamment la sécurité énergétique, les affaires humanitaires (y compris les réfugiés) et la lutte contre le terrorisme. 16 February 2018/ By Hildenbrand / MSC. l’Arabie saoudite est actuellement le deuxième marché d’exportation en importance du Canada dans la région, section formats de rechange de notre page aide, Faire des affaires avec l'Arabie Saoudite. Currently, the two nations are strategic allies and partners. Saudi Arabia’s decision to effectively downgrade diplomatic ties with Canada, cut cultural/student contacts and freeze commercial ties was not pre-meditated. Canada has a trade deficit with Saudi Arabia, and the kingdom’s imports are dominated mostly by crude oil. It didn’t mean that they suddenly jettisoned their principles or concerns about Saudi Arabia. Tweets may be politically and emotionally satisfying for Ministers and supporters but, they do nothing to actually change the lives of Saudis, which ostensibly, is the goal of Ottawa’s human rights policies. Luciano Zaccara: Assistant Professor, Qatar University, Dania Thafer: Executive Director, Gulf International Forum, Kayhan Barzegar: Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the Science and Research Branch of Azad University, Barbara Slavin: Director of Iran Initiative, Atlantic Council, Sanam Shantyaei: Senior Journalist at France24 & host of Middle East Matters. Tweeting is Public Relations, not diplomacy. As a result of the deterioration in relations between Canada and KSA, the conflict and resulting humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and the Khashoggi killing, the Government has been re-evaluating Canada’s foreign, defence and security policies towards KSA. The relationship increased in February 2014 with the purchase of C$15 billion worth of Canadian arms by Saudi Arabia. Secondly, the panel will discuss what programs and initiatives Canada can introduce to further build on the renewed strategy. 7 Aug 2018 Despite the increasingly authoritarian rule of MBS and the tightening of political space in the Kingdom, the social and economic reform efforts launched by the Crown Prince’s Vision 2030 program and the weakening of the role of the Saudi religious establishment in the Kingdom are significant. Dennis Horak served as Canadian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Yemen, and former Head of Mission in Iran. But it is worth doing. On the other hand, with international terrorist networks and intense regional rivalry in the Middle East, it is impractical to discuss peace and security without addressing terrorism and the arms race in the region. To say that the Saudi reaction was a surprise would be an understatement. Bill Law. That doesn’t require sacrificing Canadian principles. The countries share important economic ties, with Saudi Arabia representing Canada's second largest trading partner in the Middle East. Moreover, it freed the Government from having to consider the impact various human rights initiatives might have on the bilateral relationship (it is worth considering, for example, whether Canada would have been as enthusiastically assertive in offering refuge to a young Saudi woman, Rahaf Mohammad Al-Qunn in December 2018 had relations been on a normal footing). L’Arabie saoudite est un chef de file des mondes arabe et musulman et le gardien des deux mosquées saintes (La Mecque et Médina). Canada wasn’t looking for this kind of fight either. CJPME: Ottawa Should End Paradoxical Arms Deal with Saudis Montreal, October 25, 2018 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) calls on Canada to end, once and for all, its arms trade with Saudi Arabia. Le Canada continue d'appeler toutes les parties au conflit à respecter leurs obligations en vertu du droit international humanitaire. Les intérêts commerciaux et économiques demeurent au premier plan des relations bilatérales du Canada avec l’Arabie saoudite. In this evolving landscape, Western powers will be compelled to redefine their strategic priorities and adjust their policies with the new realities in the region. You can reach us by email: This panel will discuss how Western powers and multilateral institutions, such as the IAEA, can play a more effective role in managing non-proliferation efforts in the Middle East. Angered by the public condemnation, Saudi Arabia suspended diplomatic ties with Canada last August, expelled the Canadian ambassador and recalled its own envoy from Ottawa. Oil will not be impacted. The Saudis have demanded a public apology and that is rightly off the table. On the contrary, it means putting Canada back in a position to actually be able to pursue them and to have an impact – however small – beyond the easily ignored hectoring from the social media sidelines that seems to pass for effective diplomacy these days. The federal government has an opportunity to seize this untapped potential and provide inclusive platforms that can help facilitate trade in the region, advocating business diplomacy between Canada and these immigrants’ home countries in the region. In the latest development, during the meeting of the Global Coalition against ISIS, Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau announced more than $43.6 million in Peace and Stabilization Operations Program funding for 11 projects in Syria and Iraq. The relationship between Canada and Saudi Arabia is “fractured” and the kingdom has ordered its ministries to look for alternatives to existing deals it has with Canadian businesses. “We have respect for … The Saudi government appeared to take immediate offence. Targeting a G-7 country in such a high-profile, over-the-top manner would ensure that that message would resonate widely. It will take a level of political commitment and sustained engagement – at the most senior levels – that may not be entirely popular among the constituencies who cheered Canada’s “principled” stand and continue to champion the idea of “ghosting” the Kingdom. A diplomatic rift has opened between Canada and Saudi Arabia after a Canadian government minister's public criticism of policies that the Saudis consider a matter of internal security. Egypt–Saudi Arabia relations are the relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With Canada’s Middle East Engagement Strategy expiring this year, it is time to examine and evaluate this massive investment in the Middle East region in the past five years. Saudi Arabia wagered that the symbolic message of directing its fury at Canada outweighs the necessary downturn in relations with that country. The former is a member of the treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), while the latter has refused to sign the international agreement. These students are no longer coming. It will be hard and there may be additional complications (including MBS’s quixotic nature). The Biden administration has begun re-engaging Iran on the nuclear dossier, an initiative staunchly opposed by Israel, while also taking a harder line on Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen. Chrystia Freeland during the Munich Security Conference 2018. In this panel, we will discuss how the West, including the United States and its allies, can utilize multilateral diplomacy with its adversaries to prevent military escalation in the region. En ce qui a trait aux échanges commerciaux, l’Arabie saoudite est actuellement le deuxième marché d’exportation en importance du Canada dans la région. Sergio Marchi: Canada’s Former Minister of International Trade, – Scott Jolliffe: Chairperson, Canada Arab Business Council, – Esfandyar Batmanghelidj: Founder and Publisher of Bourse & Bazaar, – Nizar Ghanem: Director of Research and Co-founder at Triangle, – Nicki Siamaki: Researcher at Control Risks. The security architecture of the Middle East has undergone rapid transformations in an exceptionally short period. This panel will primarily discuss the implications of the ongoing arms race in the region and the role of Western powers and multilateral organizations in facilitating trust-building security arrangements among regional stakeholders to limit the proliferation of arms across the Middle East. These two examples may lack the pizazz of a widely shared social media post, but they had a practical value on the ground that no tweet could ever hope to match. The Government had issued similar – if less incendiary – tweets in the past (as had other countries) with little blowback. Des milliers de Canadiens figurent parmi les quelque deux millions de musulmans qui font le hajj annuel (ou pèlerinage) à La Mecque. In this respect, multiculturalism can become a tool for advancing Canada’s business interests abroad. They realized that to do everything they wanted to do, including on human rights, they needed to be playing at full diplomatic strength. More importantly, the panel will discuss a principled and strategic roadmap for the future of Canada’s short-term and long-term engagement in the Middle East. On one hand, the Kremlin has maintained its military presence in Syria, and on the other hand, China has signed an unprecedented 25-year strategic agreement with Iran. L’Arabie saoudite est représentée au Canada par une ambassade à Ottawa. Relations between Canada and Saudi Arabia soured in early August, when the Canadian foreign ministry expressed concern at the arrest of women’s rights activists there, imploring the Saudis in separate English and Arabic tweets to “immediately release” them. The panel will also discuss the role of other major powers, including China and Russia in shaping this new security environment in the region, and how the Biden administration will respond to these powers’ increasing regional presence. – Sanam Vakil: Deputy Director of MENA Programme at Chatham House, – Denise Natali: Acting Director, Institute for National Strategic Studies & Director of the Center for Strategic Research, National Defense University, – Hassan Ahmadian: Professor of the Middle East and North Africa Studies, University of Tehran, – Abdulaziz Sagar: Chairman, Gulf Research Center, – Andrew Parasiliti: President, Al-Monitor, Canada-Saudi Relations: Time to Get Back on Track. In this case, however, Canada’s penchant for being seen to be on the “right side” with a tweet undermined the Government’s ability to actually have a meaningful impact. * Si vous avez besoin d'un plugiciel ou d'un logiciel tiers pur accéder a ce ficher, veuillez consultez la section formats de rechange de notre page aide. One Saudi graduate from St. Mary’s, for example, returned home and started a very successful company devoted solely to facilitating the entry of Saudi women into the workforce. It is cordial in that the two cooperate on shared interests while they usually ensure that disagreements maintain a low profile. The purpose of Canada’s diplomacy is simple — influence the behaviour of other countries and advance the interests of Canadians. From a broader geopolitical perspective, with the need to secure its energy imports, China is also expected to increase its footprint in the region and influence the mentioned challenges. While the split could have some lasting effects on business ties between the two countries, it is not likely to lead to a permanent freeze in their diplomatic relationship. Saudi Arabia’s decision to jail prominent women’s rights activists Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah sparked a concerned tweet by Global Affairs Canada and one by Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland that set off a diplomatic and trade relations commotion. They tick brand boxes in a search for “Likes”. Another, more direct, example of Canadian support for change was the contribution Canada was making to teacher training as part of a broader Saudi initiative to reform the way their sclerotic school system functions. Meanwhile, Russia and China have significantly maintained and even expanded their regional activities. The Germans and the Swedes found themselves on the outs with Riyadh not so long ago following critical comments about Saudi Arabia by Ministers in their countries. Relations between Canada and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are interesting. Most importantly, the panel will discuss if a multilateral security dialogue in the Persian Gulf region, proposed by some regional actors, can help reduce tensions among regional foes and produce sustainable peace and development for the region. But for some within and outside Government, the bilateral derailment provided an opportunity for Canada to underscore its willingness to pay the price to defend its principles and values. The thousands of Saudi students who came to Canada annually – men and women – returned to the Kingdom with a different perspective. Normal diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia allowed Canada to play a supportive role in these reform efforts, both directly and indirectly. Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation, bituminous substances and mineral waxes account for 95 per cent of total imports from Saudi Arabia, totalling about US$1.9 billion in 2017. – Hon. – Peggy Mason: Canada’s former Ambassador to the UN for Disarmament, – Mark Fitzpatrick: Associate Fellow & Former Executive Director, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), – Ali Vaez: Iran Project Director, International Crisis Group, – Negar Mortazavi: Journalist and Political Analyst, Host of Iran Podcast, – David Albright: Founder and President of the Institute for Science and International Security. Saudi Arabia freezes trade relations with Canada Canadian ambassador given 24 hours to leave Riyadh, Bahrain says it supports Saudi decision Published: August 06, 2018 07:12 Gulf News Report As the global power structure continues to shift, it is essential to analyze the future of the US regional presence under the Biden administration, explore the emerging global rivalry with Russia and China, and at last, investigate the implications of such competition for peace and security in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have imported billions of both Western and Russian-made weapons and funded militant groups across the region, intending to contain their regional adversaries, particularly Iran. – Dmitri Trenin: Director of Carnegie Moscow Center, – Joost R. Hiltermann: Director of MENA Programme, International Crisis Group, – Roxane Farmanfarmaian: Affiliated Lecturer in International Relations of the Middle East and North Africa, University of Cambridge, – Andrew A. Michta: Dean of the College of International and Security Studies at Marshall Center, – Kelley Vlahos: Senior Advisor, Quincy Institute. Les relations bilatérales entre le Canada et l’Arabie saoudite comportent des intérêts communs sur bon nombre de questions relatives à la paix et à la sécurité, notamment la sécurité énergétique, les affaires humanitaires (y compris les réfugiés) et la lutte contre le terrorisme. Meanwhile, key regional actors, including Qatar, Iraq, and Oman, have engaged in backchannel efforts to bring Iran and Saudi Arabia to the negotiating table. Elle joue un rôle de premier plan au sein de l’Organisation des pays exportateurs de pétrole (OPEP) et son influence sur l’économie mondiale est significative. But it was a pyrrhic victory. Canada could have been recognized as a leader in that effort, but that has now also ended. Le gouvernement saoudien joue un rôle important dans la promotion de la paix et de la stabilité dans la région. The Government, effectively, traded effectiveness for applause and that is an exchange Canada should not find acceptable nor let stand. They understood that normal diplomatic ties were not a seal of approval but a means to an end. Department of Academic Relations and Admissions collaborates with Canadian post-secondary institutions that support the mission of the SACB in Canada. Saudi Arabia said it will continue to ratchet up pressure on Canada for criticizing the recent arrests of women activists, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau upheld his stance on human rights.