In personalizing Saudi politics to the extent that he has, Abdullah has also personalized foreign policymaking. That has meant subordinating meritocracy to kinship and loyalty, which has inevitably weakened the regime’s capacity to respond effectively to regional developments.
阿卜杜拉的权力整合或许只是内政，但对地区也有深远影响。在将沙特政治大肆个人化的过程中，阿卜杜拉将外交政策也个人化了。这意味着才能将是次于出身和忠诚的次要考虑因素，这难免削弱了政权有效响应地区发展趋势的能力。