Saudi paper currency issues from the beginning to the present day
The first paper currency issue of Saudi Arabia was released during the reign of King Saud bin Abdulaziz in 1961, with five denominations: 100, 50, 10, 5, and 1 riyal. The second issue was released during the reign of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz in 1968, with the same denominations. The third issue was released during the reign of King Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in 1976. The fourth issue was released during the reign of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, in 1984, and uniquely introduced the 500 riyal denomination for the first time. In 1998, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) issued a commemorative issue to mark the centenary of the founding of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, introducing new banknotes in denominations of 200 and 20 riyals. The fifth issue was released during the reign of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and its denominations circulate alongside the currently circulating banknotes of all denominations as legal tender. The sixth issue was released by SAMA in 2016, introducing a new coin denomination of 2 riyals. The coin issue also included denominations of 1 halala and 5 halalas. Halalas, ten halalas, in addition to twenty-five and fifty halalas and a metal riyal. The image of King Abdulaziz topped the five hundred riyal note, and the image of King Salman bin Abdulaziz was placed on the remaining denominations. In 2020, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority issued a five riyal banknote made of polymer material on which was drawn the image of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and an image of the Shaybah oil field in the Empty Quarter, in addition to the shape of the transparent window containing decorations derived from the logo of Saudi Vision 2030.
