On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia and Canada announced the restoration of diplomatic ties, ending a five-year rift over human rights that saw Riyadh expel Ottawa's ambassador and freeze new trade.
The decision to restore relations followed discussions between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman last November, on the sidelines of the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in Bangkok, according to a statement.
Canada added that it appointed Jean-Philippe Linteau as its ambassador to Riyadh.
A Canadian government source familiar with the agreement told Reuters that punitive trade measures would be lifted as a consequence of the agreement.
The source referred to Saudi Arabia as an "important global player" in recent years. They referred to the kingdom's role in evacuating Canadian nationals from Sudan last month, as countries struggled to get their citizens out of the war-torn country.
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