The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has established a sound regulatory and financial infrastructure, based on financial standards and payment systems similar to the systems applied in major industrial countries; this led to the emergence of a strong banking sector which benefits from the managerial expertise and the latest advanced technologies.

  The financial sector provides diversified financial services for the growing commercial sector, but what makes the Kingdom an attractive investment destination is the reliable and credible financial infrastructure, in addition to the size of the Saudi market.

  The Kingdom’s financial system consists of the central bank (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency-SAMA), commercial banks and specialized lending institutions, and the stock market. The banking sector has been organized according to the control system for banks issued by Royal Decree in 1966. The Council of Ministers issues the licenses for the establishment of banks, based on recommendations from the Finance Minister after reviewing it by the Central Bank.