{"id":7268,"date":"2026-10-06T15:55:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T12:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/saudi-anti-money-laundering-law\/"},"modified":"2026-10-11T15:11:29","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T12:11:29","slug":"saudi-anti-money-laundering-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/saudi-anti-money-laundering-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Saudi Anti-Money Laundering Law: The Offence, Duties and Reporting"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.usus-tbl{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;max-width:760px;margin:12px 0 20px;font-size:15px}.usus-tbl th{background:#f4eff9;color:#2A124A;font-weight:700;text-align:right;padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:2px solid #C9A227}.usus-tbl td{padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid #e5ddec;vertical-align:top}<\/style>\n<div dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p>The Saudi <strong>Anti-Money Laundering Law<\/strong> (\u0646\u0638\u0627\u0645 \u0645\u0643\u0627\u0641\u062d\u0629 \u063a\u0633\u0644 \u0627\u0644\u0623\u0645\u0648\u0627\u0644) is not only for banks: it places obligations on many companies and non-financial professions, and it criminalises anyone who conceals the source of illicit money or helps to conceal it. The current law was issued by Royal Decree No. (M\/20) dated 5\/2\/1439H, followed by its Implementing Regulations. Here we explain what money laundering is, who carries the obligations, and what to do when something looks suspicious.<\/p>\n<h2>What is money laundering?<\/h2>\n<p>It is any act intended to conceal or disguise the illicit origin of funds obtained from a crime, or to convert, transfer, acquire or hold funds knowing they are the proceeds of a crime, or to assist in any of this. The law covers a wide range of predicate crimes from which the money comes, such as fraud, bribery, drug trafficking and evasion.<\/p>\n<h2>Who carries the obligations?<\/h2>\n<table class=\"usus-tbl\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Category<\/th>\n<th>Examples<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Financial institutions<\/td>\n<td>Banks, finance companies, exchange and remittance companies, insurance and securities companies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Designated non-financial businesses and professions<\/td>\n<td>Real estate brokers, dealers in precious metals and gemstones, accountants, and lawyers and notaries in certain transactions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Everyone<\/td>\n<td>Anyone who commits money laundering or assists in it is criminally liable, even if they are not in a supervised category<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<figure class=\"usus-ig usus-ig-7268-1\"><img class=\"wp-image-7929\" src=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7268-1.webp\" width=\"1200\" height=\"883\" alt=\"Who carries the obligations? \u2014 Saudi Anti-Money Laundering Law (Usus Law Firm infographic)\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7268-1.webp 1200w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7268-1-768x565.webp 768w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7268-1-640x471.webp 640w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7268-1-400x294.webp 400w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-7268-1-367x270.webp 367w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2>Key obligations for covered entities<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Know your customer (KYC):<\/strong> verify the identity of the customer and the beneficial owner, and the nature of their business, before and during the relationship.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Risk assessment:<\/strong> classify customers and transactions by risk and apply enhanced due diligence where needed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reporting:<\/strong> report to the General Directorate of Financial Investigation (\u0627\u0644\u0625\u062f\u0627\u0631\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0627\u0645\u0629 \u0644\u0644\u062a\u062d\u0631\u064a\u0627\u062a \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0627\u0644\u064a\u0629, the Saudi financial intelligence unit) immediately on suspicion, without alerting the customer.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Record keeping:<\/strong> keep documents and records for the period set by law.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Internal controls:<\/strong> policies, procedures, training and a compliance officer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The law imposes criminal penalties on offenders and administrative sanctions on entities that breach their obligations. <em>Check the current official text for penalties and periods.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Common patterns to watch out for<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Using your bank account or commercial registration to pass someone else&#8217;s money through in return for a commission.<\/li>\n<li>Accepting large cash amounts without clear documents showing where they came from.<\/li>\n<li>Commercial concealment (\u062a\u0633\u062a\u0631, &#8220;tasattur&#8221;), where a Saudi citizen&#8217;s name is used for someone else&#8217;s business.<\/li>\n<li>Fictitious invoices, or amounts out of proportion to the size of the business.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Someone transferred money to me and asked me to send it on to another account. Is that risky?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. This is one of the best-known ways people are used as &#8220;money mules&#8221; in money laundering or fraud, and the account holder may be held liable. Don&#8217;t agree to it, and inform your bank.<\/p>\n<h3>I have been accused of money laundering. What is the first step?<\/h3>\n<p>Do not make any statement before getting a lawyer, and gather evidence of the source of the funds and that they are lawful. Investigations and proceedings are in Arabic, so any foreign-language documents will need an Arabic translation. Read about the <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/saudi-criminal-procedure-law\/\">rights of the accused<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Does my business need an anti-money laundering policy?<\/h3>\n<p>If it is a covered entity, policies, procedures and training are a legal obligation. Even if it is not, they protect the business. Read about the <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/saudi-anti-bribery-law\/\">Anti-Bribery Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Need a defence or a compliance programme?<\/h2>\n<p>The team at <strong>Usus Law Firm<\/strong> handles the defence in <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/service\/criminal-cases\/\">criminal cases<\/a> in full confidence, and prepares compliance policies for businesses as part of its <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/service\/corporate-governance\/\">corporate governance<\/a> work, in <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/lawyer-in-riyadh\/\">Riyadh<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/lawyer-in-tabuk\/\">Tabuk<\/a>, and advises in English.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:12.5px;color:#6a6178;border-top:1px solid #e6ddd0;padding-top:10px;margin-top:16px\"><em>This article is general legal information and is not a substitute for advice on your specific case. Court proceedings in Saudi Arabia are in Arabic; the official Arabic text of each law prevails.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"usus-qbox\">\n<h2>Request a quick consultation<\/h2>\n<p>Leave your name and mobile number, and a lawyer from our Riyadh or Tabuk office will call you during working hours. We advise in English.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wpcf7 no-js\" id=\"wpcf7-f6963-o1\" lang=\"en-US\" dir=\"ltr\" data-wpcf7-id=\"6963\">\n<div class=\"screen-reader-response\"><p role=\"status\" aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\"><\/p> <ul><\/ul><\/div>\n<form action=\"\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7268#wpcf7-f6963-o1\" method=\"post\" class=\"wpcf7-form init\" aria-label=\"Contact form\" novalidate=\"novalidate\" data-status=\"init\">\n<fieldset class=\"hidden-fields-container\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7\" value=\"6963\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_version\" value=\"6.2.2\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_locale\" value=\"en_US\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_unit_tag\" value=\"wpcf7-f6963-o1\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_container_post\" value=\"0\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_posted_data_hash\" value=\"\" \/>\n<\/fieldset>\n<span id=\"wpcf7-6acd139a1b695-wrapper\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap cf7apps-honeypot-wrap honeypot-qf-wrap\" style=\"position:absolute;width:1px;height:1px;padding:0;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);white-space:nowrap;border:0;\"><label for=\"wpcf7-6acd139a1b695-field\" class=\"hp-message\">Please leave this field empty.<\/label><input id=\"wpcf7-6acd139a1b695-field\"  class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text\" type=\"text\" name=\"honeypot-qf\" value=\"\" autocomplete=\"new-password\" tabindex=\"1000\" data-cf7apps-tabindex=\"1000\" \/><\/span>\n<div class=\"usus-qf\">\n<div class=\"f\"><label for=\"q-name\">Name<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-name\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-required\" id=\"q-name\" autocomplete=\"name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"Your name\" value=\"\" type=\"text\" name=\"q-name\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"f\"><label for=\"q-phone\">Mobile<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-phone\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-tel wpcf7-validates-as-required wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-tel\" id=\"q-phone\" autocomplete=\"tel\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"05xxxxxxxx\" value=\"\" type=\"tel\" name=\"q-phone\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"f\"><label for=\"q-city\">City<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-city\"><select class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-select wpcf7-validates-as-required\" id=\"q-city\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" name=\"q-city\"><option value=\"Riyadh\">Riyadh<\/option><option value=\"Tabuk\">Tabuk<\/option><option value=\"Other city\">Other city<\/option><\/select><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"f w\"><label for=\"q-msg\">Your case in brief (optional)<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-msg\"><textarea cols=\"40\" rows=\"2\" maxlength=\"600\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-textarea\" id=\"q-msg\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"One or two lines are enough\" name=\"q-msg\"><\/textarea><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"s\"><input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-submit has-spinner\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Request a call from a lawyer\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"wpcf7-response-output\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Saudi Anti-Money Laundering Law (\u0646\u0638\u0627\u0645 \u0645\u0643\u0627\u0641\u062d\u0629 \u063a\u0633\u0644 \u0627\u0644\u0623\u0645\u0648\u0627\u0644) is not only for banks: it places obligations on many companies and non-financial professions, and it criminalises anyone who conceals the source of illicit money or helps to conceal it. The current law was issued by Royal Decree No. (M\/20) dated 5\/2\/1439H, followed by its Implementing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8319,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[84,81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-criminal-law","category-saudi-laws-explained"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":{"landsacpe":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-7268-1140x445.jpg?wsr",1140,445,true],"list":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-7268-463x348.jpg?wsr",463,348,true],"medium":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-7268-300x169.jpg?wsr",300,169,true],"full":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-7268.jpg?wsr",1200,675,false]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7268"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7268\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7930,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7268\/revisions\/7930"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}