Kathmandu. President-Elect of the United States of America, Joe Biden’s victory has excited many countries in the world, while making others uncomfortable. Some countries have congratulated Biden on his victory while some have not. Saudi Arabia also delayed congratulating him by more than 24 hours. The reason why Saudi Arabia is reluctant to congratulate Biden is because they wanted Donald Trump to win the election and Biden’s victory could be difficult for them in the future.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia is closer to President Trump and had made his first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia, breaking the tradition of visiting Canada or Mexico for the first time since his Presidency. The Trump administration, like a safety net sided with Saudi Arabia on human rights issues, including their role in the war in Yemen. On the other hand, Biden has already announced his plans for revision in US-Saudi Arabia relations adding a cut off of the US aid to the war in Yemen.

Moreover, the assassination of Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi, a journalist for the Washington Post, at the Saudi Arabian embassy in Turkey drew criticism from around the world. However, Trump continued arms sales to Saudi Arabia, despite opposition from the Congress. On the contrary, Biden is very aggressive on human rights and has announced a halt in the selling of arms soon after he is sworn in.

Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman has used every means at his disposal to quell dissent in domestic politics. He has imprisoned several relatives who could pose a threat while any anti-Saudi activists have been sentenced to death. Biden is adamant on making sure both friends and foes are treated equally for human rights and democratic values, rather than handing out empty checks to dictators and abusers.

Saudi Arabia is a supporter of Trump’s policy of maximum pressure against Iran. Trump ended his nuclear deal with Iran in 2018 and imposed a number of sanctions on the state, crippling their economy. Biden asserts to resume a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, an agreement that was reached during his tenure as the Vice-President under Barack Obama’s presidency.