Find the best ways to transfer money from United States to Saudi Arabia

The exchange rate determines the price you will pay when buying Saudi Riyal in the United States. A better exchange rate means more US Dollars being sent to Saudi Arabia.

The current rate between the US Dollar and Saudi Riyal is 3.7558.

The USD-SAR exchange rate is always changing. Understanding the average, and then waiting a day or two can help you get more SAR for the same amount of US Dollars - but you might end up worse off.

A safer option if you want to get a particular rate is to use a forward contract. This allows you to lock in an agreed exchange rate between the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Sending via a Bank transfer is the payment method that will get you the best price on a transfer from the United States to Saudi Arabia.

Revolut is the company offering the best price currently on this.

Using Revolut for a Bank transfer to Saudi Arabia from the United States is 0.7% cheaper than the next-best option in the market.

United States and Saudi Arabia have different financial regulations to be aware of. Ensuring you fully understand these regulations will aid in keeping your money safe.

Our directory of worldwide financial regulators contains details on regulation for money transfers between United States and Saudi Arabia.

Companies offering money transfers between the United States and Saudi Arabia will have minimum or maximum thresholds on how much you can send or receive across set timeframes.

Exchange rates and fees for different transfer amounts could change and sending regularly could mean losing out.

That’s why it’s best to compare USD-SAR rates for your specific transfer amount.

For regular transfers to Saudi Arabia to the United States, shopping around each time can make a huge difference.

For sending large amounts of USD to Saudi Arabia without hitting a threshold, we’d recommended Wise. They offer a combination of rates and fees when sending from the United States to Saudi Arabia that is the most competitive, even at larger amounts.

Be sure to check with the recipient and understand any declarations needed on large amounts of money entering Saudi Arabia from the United States.

Options for receiving Saudi Riyal in Saudi Arabia include direct bank deposit, cash pickup, a mobile wallet or receiving money into a multi-currency account.

Not all of the 12 providers offering transfers from the United States to Saudi Arabia will support every method for incoming Saudi Riyal, so it’s best to check ahead of time.

The most common option is to send directly from the United States to a bank account in Saudi Arabia. For most part, this is convenient but does have receiving fees to potentially be aware of.

Wise is the best company for bank transfers between United States and Saudi Arabia.

Cash pickup is popular in some parts of Saudi Arabia, but not always supported and can be costly compared to cheaper options.

Mobile wallet or P2P services and payment apps like PayPal, Xoom, and CashApp are popular because of convenience, but they come with more limitations and higher costs compared to money transfer providers like Ria Money Transfer.

When sending Saudi Riyals to Saudi Arabia, through a money transfer company, you will need to verify your ID when signing up.

The documents you need can vary and in some cases you might need a couple of options.

Generally, government issued ID such as a passport or driver's license are accepted in the United States. If the recipient needs an ID to collect money in Saudi Arabia, the same applies there. You may also be able use other ID formats, where these aren’t available.

Large transactions between United States and Saudi Arabia can be subject to additional checks such as proof of funds for anti-money laundering purposes. This may also require additional ID checks.

One of the reasons Wise as scored so highly for transfers to Saudi Arabia is their easy sign up process in the United States.

As well as proof of funds, when sending large amounts of money between the United States and Saudi Arabia there will be tax declarations to consider. This is also potentially due to regular transactions.

Some transfers into Saudi Riyal may need to be reported to tax authorities in Saudi Arabia and the United States, particularly where inheritance or property purchases are involved.

Tax limits and personal allowances do change in Saudi Arabia based on age, income and a few other elements. Everyone’s tax obligations are unique - when in doubt, please contact a tax professional in the United States or Saudi Arabia.