Canada advises no travel to Riyadh airport after Houthi attacks

Canada’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia said on Sunday the embassy in Riyadh remains open for Canadians in need of consular assistance, which came as Ottawa condemned Houthi attacks on the international airport in Riyadh.

Ambassador Jean-Philippe Linteau said in a video on Sunday that anyone in Riyadh who encounters military debris should walk away and contact authorities, and not post about it on social media.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen said another projectile hit a passenger terminal at the Riyadh airport on Sunday. That comes just a day after a missile attack on the same terminal killed 12 people and injured hundreds more.

Canada issued a travel advisory to avoid all non-essential travel to Saudi Arabia, and to avoid all travel to the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the violence late Saturday night, calling the Houthis’ attacks on civilian infrastructure “abhorrent” and unjustified.

“Canada condemns these reckless acts of violence in the strongest possible terms,” the prime minister said in his social media post.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those killed and wish a full recovery to those injured.”

The airport remained closed Sunday and flight-tracking websites showed no air traffic around Riyadh on Sunday.

The most recent strike in Riyadh came shortly after the Houthis blamed the Saudis for a strike against an airport in Sanaa, Yemen.

The attacks mark an escalation in the broader Iran war in the Middle East.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said on Saturday he is weighing whether to join the fight against the Houthis and said he plans to talk with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand posted on social media on Saturday that she has been in contact with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud.

She said she conveyed Canada’s “unwavering support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity.”

Jeffrey Steiner, head of the Canada-Saudi Business Council, said in an interview that it’s important Ottawa condemns the violence, and moves to strengthen ties in the long term with the key regional economic and security partner.

“It’s quite a horrible experience, obviously for the families of those who’ve been killed, and it creates at least a short-term pause or concern about safety and commercial activity,” he said.

“We don’t know how long this will go on, but the Canadian government and diplomats have condemned the Houthis for this kind of activity at civilian targets.”

The attacks come as the World Petroleum Congress kicked off on Sunday in Saudi Arabia’s capital.

Another major business event, the Future Investment Initiative — a high-profile investment summit sometimes called “Davos in the desert” — is scheduled to take place toward the end of the month.

Steiner said he and other Canadian firms still plan to attend that major business forum, which is tied to moving ahead Saudi Vision 2030 — an economic road map for the Kingdom to attract investment and diversify its economy.

“We’ll have to monitor on a daily basis in the short term,” Steiner said.

“The long term vision of 2030 has all kinds of Canadian opportunity to participate in that. Saudi wants to diversify its economy away from oil and Canada wants to diversify its markets, in a way away from the United States, or at least have broader markets and choices.”

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is expected to lead a delegation of Canadian pension funds in the comings months to Saudi Arabia to discuss investment opportunities.

– With files from The Associated Press