The family picture for the summit reveals great importance, where the order of the guests is different each time depending on the their current status and their representation to their country.

The order is usually as follows:

- Center front row:

The hosts of current, last, and future summits.

- The rest of front row:

Country leaders according to seniority. Recently elected leaders are farther from the center.

- Second row:

Leaders according to seniority.

- Third row:

Representatives of international organizations, usually in alphabetical order (English or French).

Merkel

Merkel, for example, has attended all G20 summit meetings as Germany's chancellor since 2009 until 2019. She always appeared in the second row, and moved to the center as her status moved up. (It is noted that Frank-Walter Steinmeier is the president of Germany, and not Merkel.)

In Hangzhou (2016) and Hamburg (2017) summits, Merkel was in the first row as host of current or next summit.

In 2018, Merkel missed the group photo in Buenos Aires as she arrived late and her plane had to turn back due to some technicalities.

In 2019, Merkel was spotted at the outer edge of the first row, although it may seem against protocols, it is believed to be as a compensation for last year's appearance.

Who will be at the center in Riyadh?

Riyadh G20 Summit

Center front row: Saudi Arabia, Italy, Japan.

Previuos summits:

-2019 summit in Osaka, Japan.



Center front row: Japan, Brazil, Saudi Arabia.

The rest of the representatives appear through the rows.

- 2017 summit in Germany

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Center front row: China, Germany, Argentina.

- 2016 summit in China

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Center front row: Germany, China, Turkey