International leaders are contemplating the implications of Joe Biden’s decision to step down from the US presidential contest.

Amongst them was Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who a specialist predicted might be suspicious of Kamala Harris, his expected successor.

“It will be concerning to have a liberal presidential contender such as Kamala Harris who is familiar with human rights activists,” stated Mathew Burrows, a senior research team member at the Stimson Center think tank.

Burrows added that Crown Prince Mohammed could be concerned that the Democrats, led by the liberal Harris, would raise more awareness of Saudi Arabia’s “poor human-rights record.”

Biden pledged to adopt an aggressive stand on Saudi Arabia, especially in light of the country’s 2018 murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

During the 2020 presidential campaign trail, Harris expressed her opinions regarding the homicide, characterizing it as an “attack on reporters everywhere” and endorsing Senate legislation aimed at expanding the public’s access to his death’s details.

She stated at the same time that “the United States needs to radically review our relationship with Saudi Arabia and use our power to defend American interests and principles.”

In conclusion, the Biden White House and Crown Prince Mohammed came to a sort of agreement centered on resisting Iran and pursuing Middle East stability.

Burrows suggested Harris might make things more difficult. According to him, the US wants Saudi Arabia to normalize its interactions with Israel, another important regional partner, but a more combative choice might stand in the way of that objective.

In part as an answer to Iranian regional dominance, the US has worked to create stronger connections between Arab nations and Israel.

In addition, Harris has been a vocal advocate for the rights of women and LGBTQ+ individuals, who under Saudi law are all considered less valuable than men.

In Saudi Arabia, it is forbidden to have same-sex relationships, all women must have male guardians, and Saudi women who call for additional rights risk severe punishment.