Canada's PM Trudeau speaks in the House of Commons in Ottawa. Thomson Reuters

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is no stranger to human rights advocacy and showy displays of allyship with marginalized communities.

But his government may have made a tactical error in trying to address human rights in Saudi Arabia.

On Friday, Canada's foreign affairs Twitter handle urged the "immediate release" of Saudi women's rights activist Samar Badawi, and others also detained for similar activities from imprisonment in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia issued a blistering response, quickly and sometimes harshly turning its state-run media to bash Canada .

In less than a week, Saudi Arabia then expelled its Canadian ambassador , froze all new investment, cancelled all flights to Toronto, pulled thousands of students from Canadian institutions , barred its citizens from getting medical treatment in Canadian hospitals , and reportedly sold off all its Canadian assets .

Canada remained firm in its support for the activists, with both its foreign minister and Trudeau doubling down on the sentiment .

On Wednesday, Trudeau told journalists : "Canadians have always expected our government to speak strongly, firmly, clearly and politely about the need to respect human rights at home and around the world.

"We will continue to stand up for Canadian values and indeed for universal values and human rights at any occasion."

But whether or not Canada expects its government to use Twitter to compel foreign countries to meet its standards remains an open question.

According to David Chatterson, a former Canadian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Trudeau's government made a tactical error.

Was this tweet good for Canada?

Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman actively reformed the theocratic monarchy in ways that both elevated human rights and improved economic prospects in the country.

By western standards, Saudi Arabia still lags far behind in its treatment of women and justice system, which recently saw a man crucified in Mecca . In reforming Saudi Arabia, even as an absolute monarch, Salman has to carefully maintain the support of religious hardliners while easing the country into modernity.

But, according to Chatterson, tweeting demands at the Saudi government doesn't help advance human rights, or anything.

"The hard truth here is that the world is not waiting for Canada to preach to them or to criticize them," Chatterson told CBC News . Canada and Saudi Arabia have a limited economic relationship and, as a small country half a world away and further separated by language and culture, Trudeau just doesn't have much sway there.

"That's not really what most countries do," Chatterson said of the tweet. "Most countries engage in a dialogue, they work in a very strategic manner, they work with like-minded countries. But issuing critical tweets is not really the best way to deal with that."

The US, for example, presses Saudi Arabia on human rights in an annual report and, presumably, in closed-door meetings between diplomats. Diplomacy is an old practice with established norms, and the diplomats overwhelmingly prefer a quiet dialogue to putting people on blast via social media.

President Donald Trump, for example, has received wide criticism for conducting diplomacy on Twitter , a practice Canada has now followed.

Chatterson held up Canada's recent Twitter diplomacy to traditional diplomatic benchmarks, and found Trudeau's government's efforts lacking.

"What's our objective here?" Chatterson asked. "Was it to mitigate the circumstances of Badawi? In that case, we failed.

"Was it to influence the broader direction of Saudi Arabia? Again, I don't think we've done that. Have we advanced Canadian interests? Definitely not."

Canadian Muslims now can't fly directly to Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage later this month. Canada has lost money on trade with Saudi Arabia. Canada lost the opportunity to educate young Saudis, who could potential have affected its desired change.

If Canada feels its human rights standards are desirable, it ought to attempt to export them to other countries. But by using Twitter it may have shot itself in the foot.

"In my humble opinion, the purpose of [Canadian] foreign policy is to advance Canadian interests. Put simply that's what we're trying to do," said Chatterson.

On the whole, human rights and women's rights are improving in Saudi Arabia, but as part of a delicate balancing act. Canada now has lost money and influence in the kingdom over a tweet.</s>Authorities in Saudi Arabia have carried out a rare crucifixion on a man accused of attempted rape and murder.

The ancient punishment is reserved for the most serious crimes in the country.

Elias Abulkalaam Jamaleddeen, from Myanmar, was accused of breaking into a woman's home, firing a weapon and stabbing her to death, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

He was also accused of stealing weapons, trying to kill another man and trying to rape a woman, Bloomberg reports.

According to reports, the crucifixion ruling was made by the country's highest court and backed by the King Salman.

His was beheaded and his body strung up on a cross in Mecca on Wednesday, according to reports.

In Saudi Arabia public executions are a form of capital punishment but only the most serious of criminals are crucified.

This is when the accused is beheaded in public, usually with a sword, and then the body hung up for a period of time and is relatively unusual.

However, a recent report by the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) shows that the number of beheadings in the kingdom during the first quarter of 2018 rose by over 70 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The news of this latest execution comes days after Saudi Arabia waded into a diplomatic row with Canada.

In a statement from August 5, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it would expel Canadian Ambassador Dennis Horakand from the country and freeze all new trade and investments because of Canada’s “interference in the Kingdom’s domestic affairs", according to Human Rights Watch .

It followed a tweet by Canada's Foreign Ministry expressing concern and calling for the release of several human rights activists detained in the country.</s>Saudi Arabia crucified a Burmese man convicted of killing a woman and committing other crimes Wednesday in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, state media reported.

Elias Abdulkalaam Jamaleddeen entered a Burmese woman’s home firing a gun and then stabbed her to death, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency, citing an Interior Ministry statement.

Jamaleddeen was convicted of robbing her home and another home, attempted rape, and stealing firearms and ammunition. State media said his conviction was upheld and his execution was endorsed by King Salman.

Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s most prolific executioners. The country’s crucifixions include beheading the criminal and then putting his body on display with the arms outstretched.

Homosexuality and attending anti-government rallies have previously led to crucifixions in Saudi Arabia, according to Business Insider.

The crucifixion comes amid a diplomatic dispute between Saudi Arabia and Canada. Women’s rights activists from Canada were arrested in the Kingdom last week, leading to harsh criticism from Ottawa.

Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador Wednesday due to the country’s criticism. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said diplomatic talks would continue, but he said he wouldn’t back down from raising human rights issues.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Several legitimate news agencies, citing the official state-run Saudi Press Agency, reported on 8 August 2018 that a man accused of murder had been executed and crucified in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca … as Saudi Arabia retaliated against Canada diplomatically for criticizing Saudi human rights abuses.

The juxtaposition of the Saudi kingdom’s lashing out about human rights abuses even as they engaged in a particularly gruesome form of capital punishment caused some viewers to question whether Internet memes reporting the circumstances could be believed:

Citing the official Saudi government-run news agency, the Associated Press reported that Elias Abulkalaam Jamaleddeen, a Myanmar national, was accused of breaking into a woman’s home and stabbing her to death, as well as stealing weapons, attempting to kill another man, and attempted rape. He was reportedly executed on 7 August 2018 using a rare (but not unheard of) form of capital punishment: “Crucifixions in Saudi Arabia entail hanging a body in public after an execution, and are unusual.”

The news came as Saudi Arabia aggressively reacted to Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland and Global Affairs Canada, who openly criticized the Middle Eastern kingdom for imprisoning two human rights activists, Samar and Raif Badawi:

Saudi Arabia in turn accused Canada of interfering in their internal affairs:

In the resulting dust-up, the Saudis expelled Canada’s ambassador and recalled their own from Canada. In addition, the Saudis pledged to halt new business with Canada, pulled scholarships, grounded flights to and from Canada, and transferred their medical program out of the country.

The spat grew even more heated when a Twitter account associated with a Saudi youth organization tweeted, then deleted, an image many interpreted as threatening because it echoed the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 by showing an airliner flying toward Canada’s iconic CN Tower in Toronto. Most of the nineteen 9/11 attackers hailed from Saudi Arabia.

Infographic KSA, the group that shared the tweet, apologized for posting the image before their entire account was deleted.</s>Saudi Arabia crucified a Burmese man convicted of killing a woman and committing other crimes Wednesday in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, state media reported.

Elias Abdulkalaam Jamaleddeen entered a Burmese woman’s home firing a gun and then stabbed her to death, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency, citing an Interior Ministry statement.

Jamaleddeen was convicted of robbing her home and another home, attempted rape, and stealing firearms and ammunition. State media said his conviction was upheld and his execution was endorsed by King Salman.

Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s most prolific executioners. The country’s crucifixions include beheading the criminal and then putting his body on display with the arms outstretched.

Homosexuality and attending anti-government rallies have previously led to crucifixions in Saudi Arabia, according to Business Insider.

The crucifixion comes amid a diplomatic dispute between Saudi Arabia and Canada. Women’s rights activists from Canada were arrested in the Kingdom last week, leading to harsh criticism from Ottawa.

Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador Wednesday due to the country's criticism. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said diplomatic talks would continue, but he said he wouldn’t back down from raising human rights issues.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>
• Justin Trudeau’s government may have made a tactical error in trying to address human rights in Saudi Arabia.
• By tweeting for everyone to see, rather than conducting traditional closed-door diplomacy, Canada has been hurt by Saudi Arabia’s retaliation with nothing to show for it.
• A former Canadian ambassador to Saudi Arabia asked how this tweet helped anyone in Saudi Arabia or anyone in Canada, and found that it most likely did not.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is no stranger to human rights advocacy and showy displays of allyship with marginalized communities.

But his government may have made a tactical error in trying to address human rights in Saudi Arabia.

On Friday, Canada’s foreign affairs Twitter handle urged the “immediate release” of Saudi women’s rights activist Samar Badawi, and others also detained for similar activities from imprisonment in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia issued a blistering response, quickly and sometimes harshly turning its state-run media to bash Canada.

In less than a week, Saudi Arabia then expelled its Canadian ambassador, froze all new investment, cancelled all flights to Toronto, pulled thousands of students from Canadian institutions, barred its citizens from getting medical treatment in Canadian hospitals , and reportedly sold off all its Canadian assets.

Canada remained firm in its support for the activists, with both its foreign minister and Trudeau doubling down on the sentiment.

On Wednesday, Trudeau told journalists : “Canadians have always expected our government to speak strongly, firmly, clearly and politely about the need to respect human rights at home and around the world.

“We will continue to stand up for Canadian values and indeed for universal values and human rights at any occasion.”

But whether or not Canada expects its government to use Twitter to compel foreign countries to meet its standards remains an open question.

According to David Chatterson, a former Canadian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Trudeau’s government made a tactical error.

Was this tweet good for Canada?

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman actively reformed the theocratic monarchy in ways that both elevated human rights and improved economic prospects in the country.

By western standards, Saudi Arabia still lags far behind in its treatment of women and justice system, which recently saw a man crucified in Mecca. In reforming Saudi Arabia, even as an absolute monarch, Salman has to carefully maintain the support of religious hardliners while easing the country into modernity.

But, according to Chatterson, tweeting demands at the Saudi government doesn’t help advance human rights, or anything.

“The hard truth here is that the world is not waiting for Canada to preach to them or to criticize them,” Chatterson told CBC News. Canada and Saudi Arabia have a limited economic relationship and, as a small country half a world away and further separated by language and culture, Trudeau just doesn’t have much sway there.

“That’s not really what most countries do,” Chatterson said of the tweet. “Most countries engage in a dialogue, they work in a very strategic manner, they work with like-minded countries. But issuing critical tweets is not really the best way to deal with that.”

The US, for example, presses Saudi Arabia on human rights in an annual report and, presumably, in closed-door meetings between diplomats. Diplomacy is an old practice with established norms, and the diplomats overwhelmingly prefer a quiet dialogue to putting people on blast via social media.

President Donald Trump, for example, has received wide criticism for conducting diplomacy on Twitter, a practice Canada has now followed.

Chatterson held up Canada’s recent Twitter diplomacy to traditional diplomatic benchmarks, and found Trudeau’s government’s efforts lacking.

“What’s our objective here?” Chatterson asked. “Was it to mitigate the circumstances of Badawi? In that case, we failed.

“Was it to influence the broader direction of Saudi Arabia? Again, I don’t think we’ve done that. Have we advanced Canadian interests? Definitely not.”

Canadian Muslims now can’t fly directly to Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage later this month. Canada has lost money on trade with Saudi Arabia. Canada lost the opportunity to educate young Saudis, who could potential have affected its desired change.

If Canada feels its human rights standards are desirable, it ought to attempt to export them to other countries. But by using Twitter it may have shot itself in the foot.

“In my humble opinion, the purpose of [Canadian] foreign policy is to advance Canadian interests. Put simply that’s what we’re trying to do,” said Chatterson.

On the whole, human rights and women’s rights are improving in Saudi Arabia, but as part of a delicate balancing act. Canada now has lost money and influence in the kingdom over a tweet.</s>Justin Trudeau has defied Saudi Arabia’s demand to withdraw Canada’s calls for the release of jailed civil rights activists and insisted that Canada will continue to defend human rights around the world, suggesting that the escalating diplomatic row between the two countries is set to continue.

In his first public comments since the spat began, Canada’s prime minister said his government has been speaking directly to the kingdom in an effort to resolve what he called “a diplomatic difference of opinion”.

Mr Trudeau said Canada’s foreign minister had held a long conversation with her Saudi counterpart on Tuesday, but offered no details as to what the pair had discussed.

“We continue to engage diplomatically and politically with the government of Saudi Arabia, ” Mr Trudeau told reporters on Wednesday. “We have respect for their importance in the world and recognise that they have made progress on a number of important issues.”

He insisted, however, that his government would continue to press Saudi Arabia on its human rights record. “We will, at the same time, continue to speak clearly and firmly on issues of human rights at home and abroad wherever we see the need.”

Mr Trudeau’s comments came hours after Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister described the row as a “matter of national security”, telling reporters that the kingdom was still considering additional measures against Canada. He did not elaborate on what these measures could entail.

“Canada needs to fix its big mistake,” Adel al-Jubeir told a news conference in Riyadh. “There is nothing to mediate. A mistake has been made and a mistake should be corrected.”

In recent days, several countries have expressed support for Saudi Arabia, including Egypt and Russia, which both told Ottawa that it was unacceptable to lecture the kingdom on human rights.

“We have always said that the politicisation of human rights matters is unacceptable,” Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry, told reporters on Wednesday. “What one probably needs in this situation is constructive advice and assistance rather than criticism from a ‘moral superior’,” she said.

The United States – one of Canada’s closest allies – has so far refused to wade into the row, describing both countries as close allies in a written statement from the state department.

“It’s up for the government of Saudi Arabia and the Canadians to work this out,” said Heather Nauert, a spokesperson for the State Department, on Tuesday. “Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We can’t do it for them.”

Britain was similarly muted in its response, with a foreign office spokeswoman saying: “Canada and Saudi Arabia are both close partners of the UK, and we urge restraint during the current situation.”

When asked whether Canada was prepared to apologise to Saudi Arabia, Mr Trudeau – who in recent years has come under fire for signing off on the sale of more than 900 armoured vehicles to Riyadh – skirted the question. “Canadians have always expected our government to speak strongly and firmly, clearly and politely, about the need to respect human rights around the world. We will continue to do that,” he said.

He also dodged a question about the perceived reluctance of the US administration to back Canada in the dispute. “We recognise that every country has the right to make their own decisions when it comes to diplomacy and international relations,” he said. “I’m never going to impose on another country what their reactions should be or what their response should be.”

The spat appeared to have been sparked last week when Canada’s foreign ministry expressed its concern over the arrest of Saudi civil society and women’s rights activists.

Saudi Arabia shot back on Sunday, expelling the Canadian ambassador and freezing new trade with Canada.

In the days following the kingdom has continued to pile on measures against Canada, including plans to remove thousands of Saudi students and medical patients from Canada and the suspension of flights to and from Canada on Saudi Arabia’s state airline.

Saudi Arabia’s main state wheat buying agency, the Saudi Grains Organisation, has also told grains exporters it will no longer accept Canadian-origin grains in its international purchase tenders, while the Saudi central bank instructed its asset managers overseas to dispose of Canadian equity, bonds and cash holdings, regardless of the cost, according to the Financial Times.

Analysts and regional officials say that Riyadh’s actions have little to do with Canada; instead, the kingdom’s actions are a broader signal to western governments that any criticism of its domestic policies is unacceptable.

As Saudi-Canadian trade hovers around US$4 billion (€3.5 billion), the country was likely seen as an easy fall guy in the kingdom’s bid to reinforce this message, said Bessma Momani, a political science professor at Canada’s University of Waterloo. “Canada is an easy target because our bilateral economic ties are limited.”

Saudi Arabia’s actions likely had the tacit support of Washington, particularly as they targeted Mr Trudeau – a self-declared feminist who has loudly championed progressive policies, she said. “And let’s be honest, the Trump administration, particularly Donald Trump, who has shown animosity to Justin Trudeau, is probably not too sad to see having this government be in the international limelight and be rebuked by the Saudis.”

Others have contexualised the kingdom’s actions as part of a bold new foreign policy unleashed by the country’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Projecting strength has become a central concern of the 32-year-old heir to the throne. So has upsetting allies, and starting rows without an apparent follow-up plan.

Meanwhile state-run media in Saudi Arabia said the country had executed and “crucified” a man from Myanmar convicted of killing a woman and carrying out other crimes.

When asked on Wednesday about its decision to arrest the activists at the heart of the diplomatic row, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said that charges against them would be made public once their cases reach the courts and repeated earlier allegations that they had been in touch with foreign entities. – Guardian/Reuters</s>Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy.</s>Justin Trudeau has defied Saudi Arabia’s demand to withdraw Canada’s calls for the release of jailed civil rights activists and insisted that Canada will continue to defend human rights around the world, suggesting that the escalating diplomatic row between the two countries is set to continue.

In his first public comments since the spat began, Canada’s prime minister said his government has been speaking directly to the kingdom in an effort to resolve what he called “a diplomatic difference of opinion”.

Mr Trudeau said Canada’s foreign minister had held a long conversation with her Saudi counterpart on Tuesday, but offered no details as to what the pair had discussed.

“We continue to engage diplomatically and politically with the government of Saudi Arabia, ” Mr Trudeau told reporters on Wednesday. “We have respect for their importance in the world and recognise that they have made progress on a number of important issues.”

He insisted, however, that his government would continue to press Saudi Arabia on its human rights record. “We will, at the same time, continue to speak clearly and firmly on issues of human rights at home and abroad wherever we see the need.”

Mr Trudeau’s comments came hours after Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister described the row as a “matter of national security”, telling reporters that the kingdom was still considering additional measures against Canada. He did not elaborate on what these measures could entail.

“Canada needs to fix its big mistake,” Adel al-Jubeir told a news conference in Riyadh. “There is nothing to mediate. A mistake has been made and a mistake should be corrected.”

In recent days, several countries have expressed support for Saudi Arabia, including Egypt and Russia, which both told Ottawa that it was unacceptable to lecture the kingdom on human rights.

“We have always said that the politicisation of human rights matters is unacceptable,” Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry, told reporters on Wednesday. “What one probably needs in this situation is constructive advice and assistance rather than criticism from a ‘moral superior’,” she said.

The United States – one of Canada’s closest allies – has so far refused to wade into the row, describing both countries as close allies in a written statement from the state department.

“It’s up for the government of Saudi Arabia and the Canadians to work this out,” said Heather Nauert, a spokesperson for the State Department, on Tuesday. “Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We can’t do it for them.”

Britain was similarly muted in its response, with a foreign office spokeswoman saying: “Canada and Saudi Arabia are both close partners of the UK, and we urge restraint during the current situation.”

When asked whether Canada was prepared to apologise to Saudi Arabia, Mr Trudeau – who in recent years has come under fire for signing off on the sale of more than 900 armoured vehicles to Riyadh – skirted the question. “Canadians have always expected our government to speak strongly and firmly, clearly and politely, about the need to respect human rights around the world. We will continue to do that,” he said.

He also dodged a question about the perceived reluctance of the US administration to back Canada in the dispute. “We recognise that every country has the right to make their own decisions when it comes to diplomacy and international relations,” he said. “I’m never going to impose on another country what their reactions should be or what their response should be.”

The spat appeared to have been sparked last week when Canada’s foreign ministry expressed its concern over the arrest of Saudi civil society and women’s rights activists.

Saudi Arabia shot back on Sunday, expelling the Canadian ambassador and freezing new trade with Canada.

In the days following the kingdom has continued to pile on measures against Canada, including plans to remove thousands of Saudi students and medical patients from Canada and the suspension of flights to and from Canada on Saudi Arabia’s state airline.

Saudi Arabia’s main state wheat buying agency, the Saudi Grains Organisation, has also told grains exporters it will no longer accept Canadian-origin grains in its international purchase tenders, while the Saudi central bank instructed its asset managers overseas to dispose of Canadian equity, bonds and cash holdings, regardless of the cost, according to the Financial Times.

Analysts and regional officials say that Riyadh’s actions have little to do with Canada; instead, the kingdom’s actions are a broader signal to western governments that any criticism of its domestic policies is unacceptable.

As Saudi-Canadian trade hovers around US$4 billion (€3.5 billion), the country was likely seen as an easy fall guy in the kingdom’s bid to reinforce this message, said Bessma Momani, a political science professor at Canada’s University of Waterloo. “Canada is an easy target because our bilateral economic ties are limited.”

Saudi Arabia’s actions likely had the tacit support of Washington, particularly as they targeted Mr Trudeau – a self-declared feminist who has loudly championed progressive policies, she said. “And let’s be honest, the Trump administration, particularly Donald Trump, who has shown animosity to Justin Trudeau, is probably not too sad to see having this government be in the international limelight and be rebuked by the Saudis.”

Others have contexualised the kingdom’s actions as part of a bold new foreign policy unleashed by the country’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Projecting strength has become a central concern of the 32-year-old heir to the throne. So has upsetting allies, and starting rows without an apparent follow-up plan.

Meanwhile state-run media in Saudi Arabia said the country had executed and “crucified” a man from Myanmar convicted of killing a woman and carrying out other crimes.

When asked on Wednesday about its decision to arrest the activists at the heart of the diplomatic row, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said that charges against them would be made public once their cases reach the courts and repeated earlier allegations that they had been in touch with foreign entities. – Guardian/Reuters</s>Saudi Arabia has executed and crucified a man who stabbed a woman to death.

The man from Myanmar was beheaded and his body put on display on a cross in Mecca on Wednesday.

Elias Jamaleddeen broke into a Myanmar woman's home firing a gun and then stabbed her.

He was convicted of robbing her home and another, attempted rape, and stealing firearms and ammunition.

His conviction was upheld by the courts and his execution was endorsed by King Salman, the state-run Saudi Press Agency said.

Saudi Arabia is one of the world's top executioners, but crucifixions - in which the condemned is usually beheaded and then the body put on display - are rare.

In the first four months of this year, the kingdom executed 48 people, half of them on non-violent drug charges, Human Rights Watch said.

Suspects convicted of terrorism, homicide, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking face the death penalty.

It comes as Saudi Arabia is locked in a diplomatic row with Canada over human rights after Canada demanded the release of jailed activists.

Saudi officials last week expelled Canada's ambassador, giving him 24 hours to leave the country, and recalled its own envoy to Ottawa, while freezing all new trade over what it slammed as 'interference' in its internal affairs.

A pro-government Saudi Twitter account then provoked outrage when it posted - and then deleted - a 9/11-style digitally altered image showing a plane flying towards the Toronto skyline.

Since last night Saudi officials have reportedly given students one month to leave Canada, the foreign ministry has said it has a right to 'interfere in Canadian affairs' in retaliation and Saudi-owned media is calling out Canada's human rights record.

The kingdom said on Wednesday it had stopped all medical treatment programs in Canada and was working on the transfer of all Saudi patients from hospitals there.

Saudi Arabia froze new trade and investment with Canada and expelled the Canadian ambassador this week, pushing Canada to seek help from the United Arab Emirates and Britain to try to defuse the dispute.

Since rising to power in 2015, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has courted Western allies to support his reform plans, offering billions of dollars of arms sales and promising to fight radicalism in the kingdom.

Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments were discussed during his trips to the United States and Europe.

The dispute with Canada has shed light on scores of political and rights activists arrested in Saudi Arabia over the last two years.

State news agency SPA said Riyadh had stopped sending patients to Canadian hospitals and 'is coordinating for the transfer of all Saudi patients from Canadian hospitals ... according to directives by the leadership.'

It was unclear how many Saudi patients would be affected by the decision and how many were covered by the kingdom's health care system. The government provides health care services through several government agencies for public employees.

The move follows a series of measures the kingdom has taken since the row erupted on Monday.
Saudi Arabia reports the execution and crucifixion, in Mecca, of a man from Myanmar. The man was sentenced for breaking into the home of a woman and stabbing her, which led to her death, as well as for other crimes.