Saudi Arabia

On-shore VASP

Conditional · high burden.

Self-custodial wallet

Not permitted.

Crypto debit card

Conditional · high burden.

Not permitted.

Conditional · high burden.

Not permitted.

Conditional · high burden.

Crypto ATM

Conditional · high burden.

[primary] sama.gov.sa [primary] sama.gov.sa — RegulatorySandbox [primary] https://misa.gov.sa[1

Compare operating models across jurisdictions on the scenario hub.

Primary Legislation

Law / Regulation	Year	Scope
enabled by the 2022 Law of Payments and Payment Providers	2023	Limited permitted activities: Under SAMA's 2023 Payment Service Provider Regulations (enabled by the 2022 Law of Payments and Payment Providers), related services such as digital banking, electronic payment processing, P2P…
Royal Decree M/20 (AML/CFT): General transaction reporting. (https://zipmex.com/		Royal Decree M/20 (AML/CFT): General transaction reporting. (https://zipmex.com/blog/is-crypto-mining-legal-in-saudi-arabia/)

Licensing Requirements

❓60%

No standardized licenses: There is no broadly public VASP (Virtual Asset Service Provider) or crypto-specific license for retail exchanges, custody, or payment processing; activities like crypto trading, wallet services, or brokerage fall outside approved perimeters without explicit regulatory approval.

licensingno-standardized-licenses-there-is

[primary] sama.gov.sa [primary] sama.gov.sa — RegulatorySandbox [primary] https://misa.gov.sa[1

❓60%

Limited permitted activities: Under SAMA's 2023 Payment Service Provider Regulations (enabled by the 2022 Law of Payments and Payment Providers), related services such as digital banking, electronic payment processing, P2P lending/investment, asset/wealth investment, crypto/blockchain applications, and BNPL may qualify indirectly, but not pure crypto trading or custody.

licensinglimited-permitted-activities-under-samas

[primary] sama.gov.sa [primary] sama.gov.sa — RegulatorySandbox [primary] https://misa.gov.sa[1

❓60%

Exchanges and custody: Require entry via SAMA's Regulatory Sandbox as the primary (and currently only recognized) route for testing and potential approval; full operations demand ongoing compliance verification.

licensingexchanges-and-custody-require-entry

[primary] sama.gov.sa [primary] sama.gov.sa — RegulatorySandbox [primary] https://misa.gov.sa[1

❓60%

Payment processors: Must align with payment regulations; foreign entities can apply pre-incorporation but must form a local entity upon issuance.

licensingpayment-processors-must-align-with

[primary] sama.gov.sa [primary] sama.gov.sa — RegulatorySandbox [primary] https://misa.gov.sa[1

❓60%

Primarily a licensing regime with sandbox entry: Business registration alone (e.g., via Ministry of Investment - MISA portal) is insufficient; it precedes a preliminary sandbox application to SAMA for crypto-related activities. No "one-click" registration substitutes for licensing, and unlicensed operations face administrative penalties, unannounced inspections, and potential legal action.

licensingprimarily-a-licensing-regime-with

[primary] sama.gov.sa [primary] sama.gov.sa — RegulatorySandbox [primary] https://misa.gov.sa[1

❓60%

Entity setup first: Legally register a company (e.g., LLC), disclose UBOs/shareholding, define business objects, then seek sandbox admission; foreign firms may operate if activities align with SAMA approvals.

licensingentity-setup-first-legally-register

[primary] sama.gov.sa [primary] sama.gov.sa — RegulatorySandbox [primary] https://misa.gov.sa[1

❓60%

licensingregister-entity-and-obtain-investment

[primary] sama.gov.sa [primary] sama.gov.sa — RegulatorySandbox [primary] https://misa.gov.sa[1

❓60%

Submit preliminary application to SAMA Regulatory Sandbox electronically (full documentation on solvency, audits, AML systems, business model).

licensingsubmit-preliminary-application-to-sama

[primary] sama.gov.sa [primary] sama.gov.sa — RegulatorySandbox [primary] https://misa.gov.sa[1

❓60%

Undergo review/testing (up to 1 year); meet ongoing reporting, security, and client protection standards.

licensingundergo-reviewtesting-up-to-1

[primary] sama.gov.sa [primary] sama.gov.sa — RegulatorySandbox [primary] https://misa.gov.sa[1

❓60%

Post-sandbox: Secure full operational approval; continuous audits required.

licensingpost-sandbox-secure-full-operational-approval

[primary] sama.gov.sa [primary] sama.gov.sa — RegulatorySandbox [primary] https://misa.gov.sa[1

❓60%

SAMA Payment Service Provider Regulations (2023): https://www.sama.gov.sa (search regulations).

licensingsama-payment-service-provider-regulations

[primary] sama.gov.sa [primary] sama.gov.sa — RegulatorySandbox [primary] https://misa.gov.sa[1

❓60%

2018 Standing Committee Declaration (via SAMA/CMA): Virtual assets illegal/unlicensed.

licensing2018-standing-committee-declaration-via

Saudi Arabia -- Sanctions Compliance Regulatory Overview

(13 more unverified fact(s) )

Travel Rule

No verified facts yet. 5 unverified fact(s) in explorer

Tax Reporting

Tax reporting data collection in progress.

Custody Requirements

Custody regulation data collection in progress.

Stablecoin Regulation

Stablecoin regulation data collection in progress.

Securities Classification

Securities classification data collection in progress.

Sanctions & Restrictions

Sanctions data collection in progress.

Research & Articles

Saudi Arabia -- Custody Regulations Regulatory Overview

Saudi Arabia -- Securities Classification Regulatory Overview

Saudi Arabia -- Stablecoin Regulations Regulatory Overview

Saudi Arabia -- Travel Rule Implementation Regulatory Overview

Saudi Arabia -- Licensing Requirements Regulatory Overview