Across the Arab world, reaction to the outcome of the US presidential election has ranged from satisfaction to grave concern.
The moderate Sunni Arab states have not concealed their concern President-elect Joe Biden may sign onto a new nuclear deal with the ayatollah regime in Tehran.
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It was only on Sunday night, 24 hours after Biden had been declared the winner, that Saudi King Salman sent a message of congratulations to the Democrat from Delaware. The delay is indicative of just how disappointed the Saudis are that US President Donald Trump will not be continuing on as president. In a conversation with Israel Hayom, senior officials in the kingdom even went so far as to call Biden "a pro-Iranian president" who they say will adopt a "conciliatory policy toward Iran that will put the region at risk."
Ryadh confirmed that US Special Representative for Iran Elliot Abrams was set to arrive in the kingdom this week as a part of a short trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia aimed at discussing the Iranian threat with senior officials in both countries. A senior Saudi official told Israel Hayom that the trip had been planned before the outcome of the election was announced.
While the official emphasized that no agreement to normalize ties between the two sides was currently in the works, the official did say that, Biden's entry into the White House would not negatively impact the kingdom's desire to maintain relations with Jerusalem. Instead, according to the official, a Biden administration would serve to bolster the alliance currently being forged between Israel and the moderate Arab states.
A senior official in Abu Dhabi admitted there was "serious concern that the cabinet of Biden's advisors will be composed of [former US President Barack] Obama people, and the Biden administration would remove sanctions on Iran."
Officials in Egypt and Bahrain also expressed their disappointment at Biden's victory.
In contrast, the Palestinian Authority appeared to breathe a sigh of relief at the election outcome, with PA President Mahmoud Abbas's senior advisor Nabil Shaath describing the news as "a great achievement for us." Abbas congratulated Biden on his victory on Sunday
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