The Ministry of Interior on Wednesday rejected the claim that the stabbing of a Canadian national by an armed man at a shopping mall in the Eastern Province was part of any terror plot. The accused — a young Saudi national — has been detained, and police are currently investigating the possible motive behind the attack.

Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki confirmed to Arab News that "the suspect who attacked the Canadian national in Eastern Province is in custody and is currently undergoing medical examination as the investigating agencies wish to verify the mental condition of the suspect, who has shown signs of abnormal behavior."

Asked about reasons behind the attack on the Canadian man in particular, and on Westerners in general recently, both Saudi and Canadian officials refused to speculate. Nevertheless, authorities have increased security patrols on the streets, as well as in public places and key areas in the Kingdom. Western diplomatic missions have also asked their citizens to be more vigilant.

In reply to a question about the Canadian Embassy's assistance to the victim, Nancy Guy, consul at the Canadian Embassy, said that "Canadian officials in Riyadh are in contact with the family and have offered consular assistance." She added: "To protect the private and personal information of the individual concerned, further details on this case cannot be released".

Guy said that the warning level maintained by the Canadian travel advisory for Saudi Arabia "remains the same." The embassy has, however, advised Canadian citizens to exercise "a high degree of caution due to the general threat of terrorist attacks." Guy also recommended that Canadian citizens monitor updates on the travel advisory for Saudi Arabia on a regular basis, and register with Canada's Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA).

This most recent attack on a Canadian citizen is not an isolated incident. Only a few days ago, a Danish resident was gunned down as he left his office in Riyadh in broad daylight. Last month, an American man was shot and killed and his co-worker wounded during an attack that also occurred in the capital. Since September this year, Saudi Arabia has taken part in the US-led campaign of airstrikes against the so-called Islamic State in Syria, raising concerns about possible retaliation.