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Freeland would only tell reporters Monday that the Canadian ambassador is “fine” and would not disclose his location. Freeland said the embassy in Saudi Arabia is still in place and providing services to Canadians.

Freeland also commented briefly on reports that Saudi Arabia is cancelling scholarships for more than 15,000 Saudi students attending university in Canada, saying it would be a “shame” if those students lost the opportunity to study in Canada.

Bessma Momani, an analyst on Middle East affairs and professor at the University of Waterloo, said the move will resonate domestically.

Momani called it, “getting tough on Canada,” which she said other countries in the region might welcome if they view Canadian foreign policy to be led by human rights concerns.

There could be a sentiment among allies that, “Finally the Trudeau government is getting poked back in the eye by the Saudis.”

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Charles Dharapak

At the same time, it sends a strong message to European and Middle Eastern countries not to “mess” with Saudi Arabia, Juneau said.

“There is a clear, uniquely Saudi dimension to this in the sense that in the last three years Saudi Arabia has been behaving very aggressively and assertively in the Middle East,” he said, noting the blockade of Qatar and the war in Yemen.

“For Saudi Arabia to punish Canada, it’s fairly easy because we’re not an important country for them, either are they for us,” he said.

Regardless of how allies and others are perceiving the measure, it has rallied support among Saudis, said Momani, adding that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia has a very young nationalistic base, many of whom have taken to Twitter to celebrate the decision and simultaneously criticize Canada.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Media said in a tweet earlier Monday that it is investigating a Twitter account that posted a photo of an Air Canada plane heading toward the CN Tower, eerily reminiscent of the 9/11 attacks.

The ministry said it ordered the owner of the account to shut it down while investigations are completed.