Saudi Arabia, Canada to reestablish full diplomatic relations

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Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday that Riyadh and Canada will restore full diplomatic relations almost five years after ties were severed over human rights remarks made by Ottawa targeting the Arab country.

The Kingdom then expelled Canada's Ambassador and froze trade with the North American country.

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Canada's Foreign Ministry also announced the decision, stating that it concluded talk efforts going on since last year between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The discussions between the two were initiated on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation APEC Forum summit in Bangkok

"It has been decided to restore the level of diplomatic relations with Canada to its previous state," Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly revealed on Wednesday that the two countries will "appoint new ambassadors."

Jean-Phillipe Linteau was named by the Ministry as Ottawa's new envoy to the Gulf country. But Saudis are yet to announce their assigned ambassador to Canada.

The rapprochement was based on "the desire for both sides to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect and common interests," the statement continued.

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The announcement is the latest in a series of diplomatic steps Riyadh has embarked on recently, the latest of which is restoring ties with Syria, working toward the return of Damascus to the Arab League, reestablishing relations with Iran mediated by Beijing, and launching negotiations with Sanaa toward ending the war.

Riyadh also is currently hosting talks between warring parties in Sudan.

Relations with China have developed exponentially in the last year, against Washington's desire, and Beijing today stands as the top importer of Saudi oil.

Official Canadian records show that Canada's exports to Saudi Arabia sat at about $2.2 billion in 2021, while its imports from the Arab country reached around $2.4 billion.

Almost all of the imports were made up of oil and petrochemicals, while a large sum of Canada's exports to Riyadh were military hardware and weapons that continued despite the trade freeze.