The Saudi riyal (Arabic: ريال سعودي riyāl suʿūdiyy) is the currency of Saudi Arabia. It is abbreviated as ر.سSAR, or SR (Saudi Arabian Riyal/Saudi Riyal). It is subdivided into 100 halalas (Arabic: هللة Halalah). The currency is pegged to the US dollar at a constant rate of exchange.^[2]

Quick Facts ريال سعودي (Arabic), ISO 4217 ...

Saudi riyal

ريال سعودي (Arabic)
ISO 4217
Code	SAR (numeric: 682)
Subunit	0.01
Unit
Symbol	SAR, SR, ر.س‎
Denominations
Subunit
1⁄100	halalah
Plural
halalah	halalas
Banknotes
Freq. used	5, 10, 50, 100, 500 riyals
Rarely used	1, 20, 200 riyals
Coins	1, 5, 10, 25, 50 halalas, 1 riyal, 2 riyals
Demographics
User(s)	Saudi Arabia
Issuance
Central bank	Saudi Central Bank
Website	sama.gov.sa
Valuation
Inflation	-2.09% (Average of 2019) [1]
Source	Saudi Central Bank, Jan 2014 est.
Pegged with	U.S. dollar (USD) $1 USD = 3.75 SAR

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The riyal has been the currency of Saudi Arabia since the country came into being and was the currency of Hejaz before Saudi Arabia was created, one of the primary currencies in the Mediterranean region during the Ottoman era. The Hejaz riyal was based on but not equivalent to the Ottoman 20 kuruş coin and was consequently divided into 20 qirsh. However, although the Hejaz riyal was the same weight as the Ottoman 20 kuruş, it was minted in .917 fineness, compared to .830 fineness for the Ottoman coin. Thus, because the first Saudi riyal had the same specifications as the Hejaz riyal and circulated alongside Ottoman coins, it came to be worth 22 Ottoman kuruş and was consequently subdivided into 22 ghirsh when coins denominated in qirsh were issued from 1925. The system remained even though the riyal was subsequently debased to a coin equivalent, in silver content, to the Indian rupee in 1935.

In 1960, the system was changed to 20 qirsh to a riyal, which was followed in 1963 by the introduction of the halala, one hundredth of a riyal. Some Saudi coins still bear denominations in qirsh, but it is no longer commonly used.

In 1925, transitional copper coins for 1⁄4 and 1⁄2 qirsh (in some parts of the country, it is pronounced girsh) were minted in Mecca by Ibn Saud. They were followed, in 1926, by 1⁄4, 1⁄2 and 1 qirsh cupro-nickel pieces carrying the title "King of Hejaz and Sultan of Nejd".

In 1927, the royal title was changed to "King of Hejaz and Nejd and Dependencies" and coins were issued in denominations of 1⁄4, 1⁄2 and 1 qirsh in cupro-nickel and 1⁄4, 1⁄2 and 1 riyal in silver.

In 1935, the first coins were issued in the name of Saudi Arabia. These were silver 1⁄4, 1⁄2 and 1 riyal coins which were nearly 50% lighter than the previous issue. Cupro-nickel 1⁄4, 1⁄2 and 1 qirsh were also issued from 1937. In 1946 (AH 1365), many of the cupro-nickel coins were countermarked with the Arabic numerals 65 in what Krause and Mishler describe as "a move to break money changers' monopoly on small coins". Cupro-nickel 2 and 4 qirsh were introduced in 1957.

In 1963, the halala was introduced, and bronze 1 halala coins were issued. That was the only year they were struck. Cupro-nickel 5, 10, 25 and 50 halala followed in 1972, inscribed with their denomination in ghirsh or riyal (1, 2 qirsh, 1⁄4, 1⁄2 riyal). In 1976, cupro-nickel 1 riyal coins were introduced, which are also inscribed with the denomination 100 halala. Bimetallic 1 riyal coins, also marked 100 halala, were issued in 1999.

A new series of 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 halalas and bimetallic 1 and 2 riyal coins was issued in 2016.

In 1953, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) began issuing Hajj Pilgrim Receipts for 10 riyals,^[3] with 1 and 5 riyals following in 1954 and 1956, respectively. These resembled banknotes and were initially intended for use by pilgrims who exchanged foreign currency for them. However, they became widely accepted in Saudi Arabia and largely replaced silver riyal coins in major financial transactions. Consequently, the Monetary Agency began issuing regular banknotes for 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 riyals on 15 June 1961. The Pilgrim Receipts were withdrawn on 1 February 1965.^[4]

500 Riyal notes were introduced in 1983. 20 and 200 riyal banknotes were issued in 2000 to commemorate the centenary of the founding of what became the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The 5th series of banknotes bearing the face of King Abdullah were issued in 2007. The 6th series of banknotes bearing the face of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud were issued on 14/3/1438H (13/12/2016).

In June 1986, the riyal was officially pegged to the IMF's special drawing rights (SDRs). In practice, it is fixed at 1 U.S. dollar = 3.75 riyals, which translates to approximately 1 riyal = 0.266667 dollar.^[18][19] This rate was made official on January 1, 2003.

The riyal briefly rose to a 20-year high after the US Federal Reserve cut interest rates on September 18, 2007, and the SAMA chose not to follow suit, partially due to concerns about the inflationary effects low interest rates and a lower value for the riyal.^[20][21] The riyal returned to its peg against the U.S. dollar in early December 2007.^[2][22]

Saudi Arabia is a member of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, which planned a monetary union with a single currency by 2010.^[2][23] However, all GCC countries operate with their own currency so far.

• Banks in Saudi Arabia
• Economy of Saudi Arabia