Saudi, Canada spat inflamed with image that recalled the 9/11 attacks

The Saudi Arabian Embassy is shown in Ottawa, Canada. Saudi Arabia has ordered Canadian Ambassador Dennis Horak to leave the ultraconservative kingdom. Photo / AP

Amid a diplomatic spat between Saudi Arabia and Canada, a pro-government Saudi Twitter account shared - and then deleted - a digitally altered image that appeared to show a plane flying towards the skyline of Toronto, Canada's largest city.

The image, shared by the account @infographic_ksa, was accompanied by a message in English that contained the saying "He who interferes with what doesn't concern him finds what doesn't please him."

The text "sticking one's nose where it doesn't belong!" was also superimposed over the image.

Though the image was deleted, screenshots of the tweet were quickly shared.

The image was later reshared with the plane removed.

The image reminded many social media users of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, in which planes were deliberately flown into the World Trade Centre towers in New York and the Pentagon. A total of 2,977 people were killed.

Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were citizens of Saudi Arabia, and Saudi royals have long been accused of complicity in the attack.

The account posted later that the image had not been intended to refer to 9/11 and apologised for its "inappropriate" tweet:

The @infographic_ksa account has more than 350,000 followers on Twitter and an additional 88,000 on Instagram. A website affiliated with the social media accounts describes it as a "voluntary non-profit project" that is "managed by a group of Saudi youth."

The accounts, which are followed by a number of Saudi diplomatic figures, are verified and largely share government announcements and pro-Riyadh messages. The Twitter account has been described as "an official government" account in Saudi-owned state media, although the relationship to the Saudi state is not clear.

Saudi Arabia had ordered the expulsion of the Canadian envoy, as well as the halt to all new trade and investment deals between the two nations, after Canada said it was "gravely concerned" about recent arrests of activists in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador and announced a freeze on "all new business" between the two countries in response to Canadian complaints about the arrests of two Saudi rights activists https://t.co/Kf9C4cv756

— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 6, 2018

Saudi Arabia suspends scholarships to Canada, plans underway to transfer students to other countries https://t.co/mUStCzO1Rx

— Ahmed Al Omran (@ahmed) August 6, 2018

Saudi Arabia just expelled its Canadian ambassador after Canada called for the release of Saudi women and civil rights activists pic.twitter.com/WL1iprV5KR

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) August 6, 2018