The G-20 is a powerful organization. Made up of the world’s leading economies, including Saudi Arabia, once a year G-20 leaders gather in the country which has assumed the 12-month leadership of the organization.

This year the Australians have been directing the G-20, so its leaders have just come together in Brisbane for a weekend of discussions. Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, is leading the Saudi delegation on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.

The summit is receiving global media coverage. Given the tensions between Washington and Moscow over Ukraine, there will be public posturing by President Obama and President Putin. The Russian leader has added an interesting touch of menace to the proceedings by having Russian warships cruising just outside Australian national waters.

The agenda drawn up by the Australians includes coordinated global action of tax avoidance. It also wants leaders to focus on free trade, energy efficiency and greater investment in infrastructure. A civilized enough list. Anti-globalization protesters may be out in force, damning what they see as the sinister hidden forces behind global capitalism, which are crushing Third World countries. The Australians have mounted a hugely-expensive security operation to ensure that demonstrations do not disturb or disrupt the business of the summit.

Millions are also being spent to protect the world leaders from any terror attack.

Yet, the bitter divisions that threaten the restart of the Cold War may hijack the agenda. This is not to say that heading off trade protection, better power production and improving infrastructure at every level will not be discussed. Civil servants accompanying their leaders will certainly be comparing positions and policies. The G-20 leaders will also make some warm and wonderful statements. These will probably come during the closing press conferences after the final communiqué has been issued.

But the real power of the G-20 rests somewhere else than in sound bites and media briefings. The G-20 comes into its own when the cameras have been turned off, when the journalists have been shooed away and the leaders find themselves alone with interpreters and maybe one or two aides.

This is when the opportunity comes for real talking. This is when leaders can speak frankly to each other. This is when they can discuss ground-breaking issues without having them sensationalized by the global media. And this, it must be said, is when Saudi Arabia comes into its own. Put bluntly, the Kingdom has never done megaphone diplomacy. The approach has always been quiet and measured. It is clear that at G-20 summits, Saudis have preferred to listen first and then offer their advice and guidance.

Therefore, the respect that the Kingdom has earned from fellow G-20 states is not simply based on Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role in the supply of hydrocarbons. It also has much to do with a deep understanding of the challenges facing the world in general and the Middle East in particular. The Oslo accord was built upon the proposals for a Palestinian settlement made by King Abdullah, when he was Crown Prince. While Saudi Arabia was to the fore in the decision to oust Saddam Hussain from Kuwait, the Kingdom warned President George W. Bush of the considerable consequences of the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq. The subsequent debacle, which has led to the emergence of the bloody specter of ISIS, has borne out Saudi caution.

Therefore as the world’s leaders mix and mingle, it seems certain that the Saudi analysis, especially as it relates to the challenges of the Middle East, will be listened to carefully.

Saudi Arabia’s role has recently been recognized by the International Monetary Fund, which gave the country a Certificate of Appreciation for being one of the three best-performing economies in the G-20. Kingdom is one of the world’s leading nations in carrying out the financial decisions of the group.

The Kingdom has already shown that it means to do so, as it did in many of the financial crises over the past few years. Crown Prince Salman's attendance at the G-20 shows Kingdom's sincere desire to place the world on a more balanced footing.

When the Russian, American and European leaders return home, they will be telling their domestic audiences about the political victories they have won. They will also try to score off other G-20 members. That, as they say, is politics. But the real importance, the real power of this elite assembly never appears in the sound bites and official communiqués. That importance rests in the opportunity world leaders have had to mix and talk freely in private. Such discussions often change perceptions. Sometimes they even change minds.