Saudi Riyal (SAR)
ر.س. · Official currency of Saudi Arabia
SAR at a glance
Every fact on this page is drawn from Saudi Central Bank or another primary source — see the 9 sources cited below.
| Currency | Saudi Riyal |
|---|---|
| ISO 4217 code | SAR · number 682 |
| Symbol | ر.س. |
| Minor unit | 1 SAR = 100 halala |
| Used in | 1 country or territory |
| Pegged to | USD · 3.750000 SAR per USDsince 1986 |
| Central bank | Saudi Central Bank |
| Official rates | Saudi Central Bank → |
| Introduced | 1928 |
Where the Saudi Riyal is used
- Saudi Arabia
Exchange rate regime Pegged
3.75 SAR per USD · band none (fixed official rate) · since 1986
Saudi Arabia maintains a conventional fixed exchange-rate policy: the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) has kept the riyal fixed at SAR 3.75 per one US dollar since 1986, and describes the peg as a cornerstone of the kingdom's monetary and financial stability.
SAR is pegged to USD
3.750000 SAR per USD · since 1986
SAMA’s Sixtieth Annual Report describes the fixed exchange-rate policy as a cornerstone of monetary and financial stability; no formal band is published (a single fixed official rate).
About the Saudi Riyal
The Saudi Riyal (SAR) is the official currency of Saudi Arabia, written ر.س. in Arabic and issued by the Saudi Central Bank, which retains its historical acronym SAMA. One riyal divides into 100 halalas, and ISO 4217 assigns the currency the alphabetic code SAR and the numeric code 682. The riyal has been fixed at SAR 3.75 per one US dollar since 1986, a peg that anchors monetary policy in the world's largest oil-exporting economy.
Saudi Arabia operates a conventional fixed exchange-rate regime. The Saudi Central Bank has maintained the riyal at SAR 3.75 per one US dollar since 1986, and its Sixtieth Annual Report describes the fixed exchange-rate policy as a cornerstone of monetary and financial stability, supported by foreign-exchange reserves able to meet all of the kingdom's external obligations. To hold the peg, SAMA manages liquidity through repo and reverse-repo rates, SAMA bills, reserve requirements on bank deposits and open-market operations.
The first coins struck for the Saudi state, half-qirsh and quarter-qirsh pieces, were minted in Makkah in 1925, and the first Saudi silver riyal followed in 1928. After the kingdom's unification, the riyal was issued under Saudi Arabia's name from 1935. SAMA, the institution now named the Saudi Central Bank, was established by royal decree on 20 April 1952; it issued pilgrim receipts from 1953 as a lighter substitute for silver coin and the first official banknotes on 14 June 1961.
Banknotes of the sixth Saudi issue entered circulation on 26 December 2016 in denominations of 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 riyals, joined by a polymer 5-riyal note on 28 September 2020 and a 200-riyal note carrying the Saudi Vision 2030 logo on 4 January 2021. Coins of the same issue, minted from 26 December 2016, run from 1 halala to 2 riyals. The 500-riyal note portrays King Abdulaziz and the Holy Kaaba, while most other denominations portray King Salman. Commemorative 200-riyal and 20-riyal notes issued in January 1999 for the kingdom's centenary remain in circulation alongside the regular series.
On 20 February 2025 King Salman approved a new symbol for the riyal, designed by the Saudi Central Bank on the aesthetics of Arabic calligraphy as the sovereign national emblem of the currency, intended for use in all financial and commercial transactions. SAMA has published this emblem only as a graphic (SVG) mark, with no official Unicode codepoint or keyboard-typeable form yet issued, so the Arabic abbreviation ر.س. continues to serve as the riyal's standard plain-text symbol, including in this profile.
SAR coins & banknotes
- 1 halala
- 5 halalas
- 10 halalas
- 25 halalas
- 50 halalas
- 1 riyal
- 2 riyals
- 5 riyals
- 10 riyals
- 50 riyals
- 100 riyals
- 200 riyals
- 500 riyals
SAR quick facts
- SAMA defends the peg with a toolkit of repo and reverse-repo rates, its own SAMA bills, and bank reserve requirements.
- King Salman approved a new riyal currency symbol on 20 February 2025, designed by the Saudi Central Bank on the aesthetics of Arabic calligraphy.
- Saudi Arabia's first paper money, the pilgrim receipts of 1953, was backed by silver riyals and printed in Arabic, Turkish, Urdu, Persian, Malay and English.
- A purple 20-riyal note issued on 22 November 2020 marks Saudi Arabia's G20 presidency and circulates alongside the regular sixth-issue banknotes.
- The Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, established in 1952, was renamed the Saudi Central Bank by royal decree on 26 November 2020, keeping the acronym SAMA.
SAR frequently asked questions
Is the Saudi riyal pegged to the US dollar?
Yes. The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) has maintained the exchange rate of the riyal fixed at SAR 3.75 per one US dollar since 1986. SAMA's annual report describes the fixed exchange-rate policy as a cornerstone of monetary and financial stability, supported by foreign-exchange reserves sufficient to meet all of Saudi Arabia's external obligations, and the peg serves as the anchor of the kingdom's monetary policy.
What is the symbol for the Saudi riyal?
In Arabic the riyal is abbreviated ر.س., and its ISO 4217 alphabetic code is SAR with numeric code 682. On 20 February 2025 King Salman approved a new riyal symbol, designed by the Saudi Central Bank on the aesthetics of Arabic calligraphy. SAMA has so far published it only as a graphic (SVG) mark, with no official Unicode codepoint or plain-text form, so ر.س. remains the currency's standard typed abbreviation, including the one shown on this page, until the emblem gains font or keyboard support.
Who issues the Saudi riyal?
The Saudi Central Bank, established by royal decree on 20 April 1952 and known by its historical acronym SAMA, issues the riyal. The institution was named the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority until the Saudi Central Bank Law, issued by Royal Decree No. M/36 on 26 November 2020, adopted the name Saudi Central Bank while retaining the SAMA acronym.
What banknotes and coins are used in Saudi Arabia?
Banknotes of the sixth Saudi issue circulate in 5, 10, 50, 100, 200 and 500 riyals; the 200-riyal note was added on 4 January 2021 and a polymer 5-riyal note on 28 September 2020. Coins run from 1 halala to 2 riyals: 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 halalas plus 1-riyal and 2-riyal pieces, all dated 26 December 2016. One riyal equals 100 halalas.
Explore SAR
Facts on this page are sourced from Saudi Central Bank and other primary references (9 sources). Rates are mid-market and for information only.
Sources for this SAR profile
9 primary sources behind the facts above, each listed with the sections of this page it is cited for. Links open on the publisher's own site.
- Saudi Central Bank www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/Publications/EconomicReports/AnnualReport/Sixtieth_Annual_Report-EN.pdf Cited for: Exchange rate regime · About · Quick facts · FAQ
- Saudi Central Bank www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/Currency/Pages/SixthIssue.aspx Cited for: Coins & banknotes · Minor unit · About · FAQ
- Saudi Central Bank www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/Currency/Pages/HistoricalInfo.aspx Cited for: Introduced · About
- Saudi Central Bank www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/Currency/Pages/FirstIssue.aspx Cited for: Introduced · About
- Saudi Central Bank www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/About/Pages/SAMAHistory.aspx Cited for: About · Quick facts · FAQ
- Saudi Central Bank www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/Currency/Pages/Pilgriams.aspx Cited for: About · Quick facts
- Saudi Central Bank www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/Currency/Pages/SpecialIssue.aspx Cited for: About · Quick facts
- Saudi Central Bank www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/Currency/SRS/Pages/default.aspx Cited for: About · Quick facts · FAQ
- Saudi Central Bank www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/About/Pages/bank-law.aspx Cited for: Quick facts · FAQ