How to send money to UAE from Saudi Arabia with the best SAR-AED rate

A better exchange rate means more Saudi Riyal being sent to the United Arab Emirates. This exchange rate determines the price you will pay when buying UAE Dirham.

Currently the mid-market rate between Saudi Riyal and UAE Dirham is 0.9781.

The cost of sending money from United Arab Emirates to the United Arab Emirates, is made-up of a combination of fees and exchange rates:

• The Mid-Market and Exchange Rates: The mid-market rate determines a mid-price for buying currency. The current mid-market rate from SAR-AED is 0.9781 AED per Saudi Riyal.

• Fees: Outside of exchange rates, you may need to pay a fee to send. Key Currency currently offers the lowest fees on transfers to the United Arab Emirates from Saudi Arabia, costing 0 SAR per transfer. Although this does include large transfers as well, we recommend searching for your exact send amount for an exact fee.

• Amount Received: The amount received in UAE Dirham is the amount you started with, minus the amount you paid in the exchange and fees.

The better deal you get on exchanging Saudi Riyals to AED, paired with a low fee, means a higher total amount received in the United Arab Emirates.

If you’re sending a large amount where this rate could make a significant difference, use a forward contract. This allows you to lock in an agreed exchange rate between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

A bank transfer through a money transfer company is the cheapest way to send money. Generally, it’s the payment method that will get you the best price on a transfer from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates at this moment.

Here are all the ways to send money from Saudi Arabia to United Arab Emirates:

Bank transfers

Bank transfers are usually the best and easiest way to send money from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates.

By using a money transfer company such as Key Currency for transfers from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, you can send money via a bank transfer while benefitting from lower fees and more favorable exchange rates than you would get from a traditional bank.

Debit and prepaid cards

Sending money from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates with a debit or a prepaid card is available through .


is a one of the cheaper options for debit card payments for transfers from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates. This cost is against a total of 4 money transfer companies offering this option.

Credit cards

When it comes to international credit card transfers from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, we recommend comparing your options to get the best deal.

Be aware of fees: using a credit card to transfer money often results in a fee being charged by your card issuer. Where possible, we recommend a bank transfer or debit card payment.

and have different financial regulators and ensuring you fully understand how these work will aid in keeping your money safe.

We’ve put together a directory of worldwide financial regulators which contains details on regulation for money transfers between Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

Transfer limits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will differ per company, this may impact the amount you can send and receive if you hit the limits.

Also, rates and fees for different SAR-AED transfer amounts could change - that’s why it’s best to compare companies for your specific transfer amount. Then, for regular transfers to the United Arab Emirates, shopping around each time can make a huge difference if you feel you are hitting limits regularly.

For sending large or regular amounts of SAR to the United Arab Emirates we'd recommend using Currencies Direct. They offer a combination of rates and fees when sending from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates that is the most competitive.

There are different ways to receive money in the United Arab Emirates.

The most popular ways are direct bank deposit into UAE Dirham, cash pickup, a mobile wallet or receiving money into a multi-currency account.

Not all providers offering money transfers between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will offer every method for incoming UAE Dirham.

Understanding where the money will eventually go after its left Saudi Arabia and entered the United Arab Emirates could impact the provider you use.

The most common (and generally easiest) way to send money from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates is directly into a bank account. Currencies Direct is the best company for sending money from Saudi Arabia to a bank account in the United Arab Emirates.

And if you need cash right away, check if cash pickup is an option for transfers between Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

Mobile wallets, P2P services and payment apps like PayPal, Xoom, and CashApp are popular because they offer convenience to those who already have them, but they come with more limitations and higher costs.

When sending UAE Dirhams to the United Arab Emirates, you will need to verify your ID at the sign up stage.

The documents you need will vary by money transfer company and in some cases you might need a couple of options.

For the most part however, in Saudi Arabia ID can be verified through a government issued ID such as a passport or driver's license.

In the United Arab Emirates, if the recipient needs an ID to collect money - both should be accepted. We’d recommend checking in advance before sending for any specific requirements on receiving money.

Large transactions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are subject to additional checks such as proof of funds. This is for anti-money laundering purposes.

Currencies Direct is one of our recommended providers for transfers to the United Arab Emirates from Saudi Arabia due to the ease of sign up and ID verification.

When sending money between Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates there will be tax declarations to consider.

Some transfers into UAE Dirham may need to be reported to tax authorities in the United Arab Emirates, particularly where inheritance or property purchases are involved (or anywhere else there are additional legal requirements).

Depending on age and income in particular, tax limits and personal allowances will change in the United Arab Emirates.

When in doubt, please contact a tax professional in Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates to discuss the personal circumstances of the transfer. This ensures you are not missing any specific tax declarations associated with your circumstances.