The national airline of Saudi Arabia, Saudia has confirmed it has now suspended flights to and from Toronto, Canada following a series of measures the Saudi Kingdom instigated this week as the diplomatic tensions between the two nations intensify.
The Saudi's have frozen new trade and investments with Canada after the Canadian government in Ottawa urged Riyadh to free arrested civil rights activists. The kingdom also recalled its ambassador to Canada as well as telling the Canadian ambassador to leave the country within 24 hours.
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said, “Canada will always stand up for human rights in Canada and around the world, and women’s rights are human rights.” Currently, the trading relationship between the two nations is worth nearly $4 billion a year and the new diplomatic tensions put in jeopardy a $13 billion defence contract.
