While Saudi Arabia remains the largest Arab economy, the world’s leading producer and exporter of oil, and the guardian of Sunni Islam, its political influence has diminished significantly in recent years. From the early 1980’s to the mid-2000’s, Saudi Arabia was the coordinator of pan-Arab politics, with the palaces of Riyadh and Jeddah drawing political leaders from throughout the Arab world.
沙特阿拉伯仍是最大的阿拉伯经济体、世界领先的石油生产国和出口国、逊尼派伊斯兰教的捍卫者，但其政治影响力在近年来大幅衰落了。从20世纪80年代初到21世纪第一个十年中期，沙特阿拉伯一直是泛阿拉伯政坛的协调者，利雅得和吉大的宫殿吸引着整个阿拉伯世界的政治领袖。