Skip to content
ptvold

Home › From abroad › Saudi Arabia to Pakistan

Sending money from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan

Short answer Send through a bank licensed by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), or its remittance service, to a bank account in Pakistan or, where the provider offers it, for cash pickup. Saudi Arabia was the largest source of Pakistan’s workers’ remittances in FY26, as reported from SBP data. On the Pakistan side, SBP EPD Circular Letter No. 12 of 2026 requires banks and exchange companies to keep qualifying remittances “free-of-cost for the senders and beneficiaries”. The minimum eligible transaction is US$200.

At a glance

  • FY26 remittances from Saudi Arabia: US$9,783.1 million, the largest source country, as reported by APP from SBP data (APP ↗ · checked 2026-09-28)
  • Growth on FY25: 4.7%, as reported by Dawn (Dawn ↗ · checked 2026-09-28)
  • Cost of a qualifying remittance in Pakistan: free for sender and beneficiary (SBP EPD Circular Letter No. 12 of 2026 ↗ · checked 2026-09-28)
  • Minimum eligible transaction: US$200 (SBP EPD Circular Letter No. 04 of 2025 ↗ · checked 2026-09-28)
  • Remittance complaints in Pakistan: PRI call centre +9221-111-727-774 (PRI ↗ · checked 2026-09-28)

SBP’s circulars bind banks, microfinance banks and exchange companies in Pakistan. They do not set what a Saudi provider charges. Check the provider’s own fee and rate before you send.

Licensed channels in Saudi Arabia

We list a provider only if its own page says it sends to Pakistan and SAMA’s register or the provider’s own licence statement confirms its licence. This is not a complete list and not a ranking. So far we have verified three banks’ remittance services.

Provider Licence (source) Payout in Pakistan, as stated by the provider Fee the provider publishes Source
Bank Albilad (Enjaz) Local bank on SAMA’s list ↗; footer: “Under monitoring and supervision of Saudi Central Bank” Cash over the counter or credit to the beneficiary’s account; partner pages say “Credit to any bank account in Pakistan” “The transfer fee is free on all Enjaz channels”; through an Enjaz kiosk or centre the transfer “must be equal or above 380 SAR to be free” Bank Albilad ↗
Bank AlJazira (Fawri) Local bank on SAMA’s list ↗; Fawri says it operates “under the supervision of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA)” Bank account: Pakistan is named for “Direct Bank Transfers”. Cash pickup and e-wallets are listed as general options, not for Pakistan Fawri’s fee schedule (undated) lists Pakistan; we could not confirm the current figure, so ask Fawri. The receiving banks may add back-end charges Bank AlJazira ↗, Fawri fees ↗
Al Rajhi Bank (Tahweel alrajhi) Local bank on SAMA’s list ↗; footer: “under the supervision and control of the Saudi Central Bank” Not stated on the pages we read. Its 2026 offers name transfers to Pakistan through UBL, MCB and Meezan Bank No current Pakistan fee schedule found Al Rajhi Bank ↗, Pakistan offer ↗

Source: SAMA licensed banks list and the providers’ own pages · checked 2026-09-28

Enjaz’s partner pages name Bank of Punjab, Bank Alfalah and Bank AL Habib in Pakistan. Al Rajhi’s channels include its app, the urpay wallet app, ATMs, POS machines and Tahweel alrajhi centres. We could not verify other providers, including non-bank remittance companies licensed by SAMA. For each bank’s current terms, ask the provider.

On the Pakistan side. PRI (the Pakistan Remittance Initiative of the Ministry of Finance, SBP and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis) lists 23 banks ↗ with their home remittance complaint contacts. It does not publish which Saudi provider pays through which Pakistani bank.

What the receiver needs to give you

What the receiver needs to give you

  • Bank: the full name of the receiver’s bank
  • SWIFT/BIC: the bank’s code (see SWIFT codes of Pakistani banks)
  • IBAN: the 24-character IBAN (International Bank Account Number)
  • Account title: exactly as on the account

For cash pickup, ask the receiver for their name exactly as on their CNIC (Computerised National Identity Card). They will need the reference number and photo ID to collect. For a wallet, ask for the wallet’s registered mobile number. See Wallets.

Bank codes: Meezan Bank, HBL, UBL, MCB Bank, Allied Bank.

Exchange rate

SBP publishes a daily M2M revaluation rate ↗ for USD/PKR. Its daily M2M rate sheet also has a SAR row, compiled from the USD/PKR rate and the SAR/USD cross rate. SBP issues these rates for banks “to revalue their books daily on Mark-to-Market basis”. It is a reference, not the rate your provider converts at. PRI says the sender should confirm the rate with the bank or exchange company at the time of sending.

Pasban Remittance Reward Scheme

SBP’s What’s New list records that on September 25, 2026 the Governor unveiled the Pasban Remittance Reward Scheme “with Rs16 billion in annual prizes”. The terms below are as reported by APP and Dawn; we did not find the official terms and conditions.

  • APP reported that the scheme starts on October 1, 2026, with the first draw on January 15, 2027.
  • APP reported a regional split of prizes, with “50% for the GCC”.
  • Dawn reported that the receiver must get at least US$100 “into an eligible bank account or wallet in each of the three months of a quarter”. Dawn also reported that cash collected over the counter does not count.

More: Remittances reached US$41.6bn in FY26; Pasban rewards start October 1.

Warning SBP’s public poster (the copy we found is hosted on a bank’s website) says transfer of foreign currency “through Hawala/Hundi operators is illegal”. It advises using “only State Bank authorized banks and exchange companies”, keeping the “system generated official receipt”, and reporting illegal operators to the FIA at complaints@fia.gov.pk.

Tracking and complaints

Give the receiver the transaction reference number. They can track it with the paying bank:

In Pakistan, a complaint goes to the paying bank first. PRI’s call centre is +9221-111-727-774 (8:30 AM to 5:00 PM PKT, Monday to Friday), and PRI lists ↗ each bank’s complaint email. If the bank does not respond within 45 days, SBP’s Sunwai portal points to the Banking Mohtasib Pakistan. For a problem with the sending side, contact the Saudi provider.

Questions

Is sending money from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan free?

On the Pakistan side, qualifying remittances of US$200 or more must stay free for sender and beneficiary. The Saudi provider sets its own fee: Enjaz says its fee is free on all its channels, and Fawri publishes a fee schedule; ask Fawri for the current figure.

Can the receiver collect cash without a bank account?

Yes, where the provider offers cash pickup. Enjaz states cash over the counter in Pakistan. The receiver needs photo ID and the reference number.

Which rate is used to convert riyals to rupees?

The provider’s own rate. SBP’s M2M rates, including SAR, are for banks’ revaluation and are only a reference.

How much did Pakistan receive from Saudi Arabia in FY26?

US$9,783.1 million, as reported by APP from SBP data. That made Saudi Arabia the largest source country.

Related

Sources