Al Jubeir: No room for mediation in Saudi-Canada dispute

There will be no negotiation with Canada until it backtracks over comments criticising Saudi Arabia for detaining activists, the kingdom’s foreign minister said.

Canada has called on the UK and UAE to help to mediate in the dispute with Saudi Arabia, Reuters news agency reported on Tuesday.

“There is no need for mediation, a mistake was made and it should be corrected, meditation happens when two sides have demands, but this is clear,” Adel Al Jubeir said in reference to Canada. He said that “if Canada made a mistake, it’s on Canada to fix it”.

Mr Al Jubeir’s comments came just days after Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Canada over Ottawa’s statement demanding the kingdom “immediately release” detainees.

Riyadh criticised the comments as an intervention in the kingdom’s internal affairs.

“Canada made a mistake, and the onus is on them to remedy [it], we don’t interfere in Canada, and we don’t get involved in their domestic policies. They did with ours, and it’s on them to fix it,” he said.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland criticised the kingdom for the arrests of women’s rights activists.

Saudi Arabia has said the detentions were unrelated to the individuals’ work and were related to separate crimes.

Mr Al Jubeir said that Canada was unaware of the other charges against those arrested and that the statements issued were unacceptable in regard to international norms.

“The issue has nothing to do with women’s rights, but they were involved with foreign elements in threatening people,

and leaking information about the kingdom to others. Some of those who were found to be not guilty were considered innocent, others were not,” he said.

Saudi Arabia is considering other measures to take against Canada.

Mr Al Jubeir’s comments came as the Financial Times and other media reported that the kingdom was escalating its response by selling assets it holds in Canada. The Saudi central bank and state pension funds told asset managers to sell Canadian equities, bonds and other holdings.

Riyadh has recalled 12,000 students from Canada and all medical tourists in the country, saying that every measure will be taken to relocate them. Saudi Arabian Airlines announced that it was halting flights and refunding cancelled tickets.

Furthermore, the country is freezing any new investments in Canada but said that existing projects could continue undisturbed.

Meanwhile, Mr Al Jubeir clarified claims made by news agencies this week regarding Saudi Arabia and Iran improving diplomatic ties, saying “there are no [Iranian] diplomats in Saudi Arabia”.

“The relationship with Iran has not changed. We do not accept Iran’s actions and its support for terrorism in the region,” he said.

Mr Al Jubeir said that Saudi Arabia takes every measure to make sure that every avenue is open for all Muslims during Hajj season.

“Saudi Arabia is clear, during Hajj, Iran is allowed ... to help Iranian pilgrims. Because Saudi Arabia tries to welcome all Muslims to God’s house, Saudi Arabia has no problem with Iranians, we respect them.

“The problem is between Saudi Arabia as well as the entire world, and the Iran [government],” he said.