QNB Group secures SAMA licence for $666m ezbank, a digital-first bank in Saudi Arabia focused on youth, entrepreneurs and inclusion
Saudi Central Bank
Latest in Saudi Central Bank
saudi banking
Visitors to Saudi Arabia can now open bank accounts with official ID
Saudi Central Bank approves Visitor ID for opening bank accounts, expanding access for visitors and supporting digital transformation in Saudi banking
Google Pay
Saudi Arabia launches Google Pay
Saudi Central Bank launches Google Pay via mada, advancing Vision 2030 goals to boost digital payments, reduce cash reliance, and enhance inclusion
SAMA
Saudi bank credit hits record $849bn in June 2025, up 15.8% year-on-year
Saudi bank credit hit a record SR3.18tn ($849bn) in June 2025 — here’s what it means for businesses and investors
SAMA
Saudi Arabia launches first mortgage-backed securities as SAMA boosts housing finance market
Saudi Central Bank approves Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company to launch the Kingdom’s first mortgage-backed securities
cashless economy
Saudi Arabia sees surge in cashless payments as it adopts digital transactions
Saudi Arabia uses digital technology for 79 per cent of retail payments
liquidity
Saudi liquidity climbs to $780bn as ‘available money’ up 9%
Saudi Arabia’s liquidity levels have seen positive growth of around 36% in past five years
BNPL
Saudi Arabia licenses Tamara Finance to provide buy-now-pay-later services
Saudi Arabia has licensed 65 companies to provide financial services
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Central Bank bans WhatsApp for customer communications
Financial institutions in Saudi Arabia have been instructed to implement alternative secure channels
Abu Dhabi
Ramadan 2025 announced in GCC; 50 UAE megaprojects; Best and most expensive schools in Dubai; Real estate price analysis – 10 things you missed this week
Ramadan start dates announced, UAE megaprojects, top Dubai schools, real estate analysis and more of the top stories this week
SAMA
Saudi Arabia announces new rules for use of Riyal symbol
According to SAMA guidelines, the symbol must be positioned to the left of numerical values with a space between them
Remittance
Saudi Arabia’s expat remittances hit $38.4bn in 2024, highest since 2022
The increase was reportedly mainly due to the growth in employment rates and the improvement of wages in some sectors
digital payment service
Saudi Arabia to launch Google Pay in 2025
Google Pay will be launched in Saudi Arabia this year
Central Bank of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Central Bank awards licence to SEULAH ALAWLA microfinance firm
Saudi Arabia issues licence to 63rd finance company
digital banking
Saudi Arabia approves licence for D360 digital bank
D360 Bank given approval to launch operations in Saudi Arabia
SAMA
Samsung Pay launched in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Central Bank announces launch of Samsung Pay service in the Kingdom
SAMA
Saudi central bank net foreign assets fall by $21bn in October, data shows
Net foreign assets fell to $412.6 billion last month
