The Format of IBAN in Saudi Arabia
IBAN Format in Saudi Arabia
The national standard for the IBAN in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which conforms to the international standard, will be a fixed length of 24 alphanumeric characters made up as follows:
2a [country code] 2n [check digits] 2n [bank identifier] followed by 18c [the basic account number preceded by zeros, if required]
| Segment | Format | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Country Code | 2a | (fixed length of 2 alpha characters) SA |
| Check Digits | 2n | (fixed length of 2 numeric characters) This is used to check the validity of an account number. The 2 digit number is calculated as per the ISO 13616-1:2007 Standard. The “check digits” must be generated only by the account holding bank to ensure integrity of the full IBAN |
| Bank Identifier | 2n |
(fixed length of 2 numeric characters) The Check Clearing code for the account holding bank.
This is a two-digit code that has been allocated by SAMA to individual banks in Saudi. The primary use of this code is to identify each bank in the Check Clearing. |
| Basic Account Number | 18c |
(fixed length of 18 alphanumeric characters) This is the customer’s ‘basic account number’.
As it must be a fixed length of 18 characters, zeros will be added before the basic account number to ensure the required fixed length. |
In a printed format the IBAN will be printed in groups of four characters with each group being separated by a blank space. The reason for this is to increase the readability of the IBAN when presented on paper or in printed format. When used electronically the IBAN should be input as a continuous string, i.e. all spaces removed. To preserve the integrity of the 'check digits' the process of creating IBANs must be under the sole responsibility of the bank servicing the customer's account. Only the financial institution that services (maintains) the account is allowed to generate IBANs for its customers.
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