SAMA Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Guide
- Issuing authority
- Saudi Central Bank (SAMA)
- Effective date
- Issued 17 November 2019
- Scope
- SAMA administrative sanctions plus criminal penalties under separate AML law
Quick Summary
The SAMA AML/CTF Guide sets the minimum AML and counter-terrorist financing requirements for financial institutions supervised by the Saudi Central Bank. It requires firms to take a risk-based approach to financial crime, covering areas such as customer due diligence, beneficial ownership, transaction monitoring, suspicious transaction reporting, record keeping, governance, independent audit and staff training.
Who does it apply to?
- Banks
- Finance companies
- Money exchange businesses
- Insurance businesses
- Other financial institutions under SAMA supervision
What it means
In December 2025, SAMA issued additional guidance on assessing business risks relating to money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing (ML/TF/PF). The guidance gives financial institutions more detail on how to identify and assess risks across areas such as customers, products and services, geography and delivery channels. The SAMA Guide supports implementation of Saudi Arabia's AML and counter-terrorism financing laws, but the important principle is that firms should not treat AML compliance as a checklist. Financial institutions are expected to understand where their own financial crime risks come from and build controls proportionate to those risks. A higher-risk customer, for example, does not automatically need to be rejected. The institution should understand the risk and apply stronger controls where necessary.