A bit off topic but out of curiosity how does this playout? Was there a period of time (in recent history) where Saudi scholars were seen as preeminent in Musli

A bit off topic but out of curiosity how does this playout? Was there a period of time (in recent history) where Saudi scholars were seen as preeminent in Muslim thought and now they aren't? What kind of impact does that scholarship have? Is it something that would have been read by Imam's and then subsequently disseminated to adherents or is it part of most Muslims religious practice to stay engaged with the scholarship?