Saudi Canadians (Arabic: سُعُودِيُّونْ كَنَدِيُّونْ, romanized: suʿudiyyūn kanadiyyūn) are Canadians of Saudi descent or Saudis who have Canadian citizenship. According to the 2011 Census there were 7,955 Canadians who claimed Saudi ancestry.[2]
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 7,955[1] (2011 Canada Census) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City, Calgary | |
| Languages | |
| Arabic (one of the dialects of Saudi Arabia), English and French | |
| Religion | |
| Islam |
Demography
editPopulation
editAccording to the 2011 Census there were 7,955 Canadians who claimed Saudi ancestry.[3]
Until August 2018, there were over 16,000 Saudi students on government scholarships in Canada.[4] There were more than 15,000 Saudi students in Canada in 2007, including 800 resident physicians and specialists who provided care to the Canadian population.[5] In 2015, Saudi Arabian students represented 3% of total foreign students in Canada.[6] Official figures provided by the Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau in Canada (SACB) indicated that in 2014 there were 16,000 Saudi scholarship students in Canada and 1,000 medical trainees.[4]
Language
editMost Saudi Canadians speak Arabic, English or French.
Religion
edit| Religious group | 2021[7][a] | |
|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | |
| Islam | 3,125 | 79.42% |
| Irreligion | 595 | 15.12% |
| Christianity | 180 | 4.57% |
| Hinduism | 15 | 0.38% |
| Other | 20 | 0.51% |
| Total Saudi Canadian population | 3,935 | 100% |
Notable people
edit- Ensaf Haidar, Raif Badawi's wife and children were granted political asylum by the Government of Canada in 2013 and currently reside in Sherbrooke, Quebec.[8] Haidar and her three children with Badawi became Canadian citizens on Canada Day, 2018. On the same day, Haidar called for the niqab to be banned.[9]
See also
edit
Notes
edit- ^ Religious breakdown proportions based on "Saudi Arabian" ethnic or cultural origin response on the 2021 census.[7]
References
edit- ^ Statistics Canada. "2011 National Household Survey: Data tables". Retrieved 11 February 2014.
- ^ Statistics Canada. "2011 National Household Survey: Data tables". Retrieved 11 February 2014.
- ^ Statistics Canada. "2011 National Household Survey: Data tables". Retrieved 11 February 2014.
- ^ a b "Fast Facts". Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau in Canada. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- ^ "CANADA-SAUDI ARABIA RELATIONS". Canadian Government. 9 May 2007. Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
- ^ "Brexit, Trump election drive university students to Canada, but will they stay here? | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ a b Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2023-05-10). "Religion by ethnic or cultural origins: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
- ^ "About Raif Badawi". RaifBadawi.org. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- ^ Kalvapalle, Rahul (1 July 2018). "Wife of jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi calls for burqa ban in Ontario". Global News. Retrieved 4 April 2020.