Saudi Expat Remittances Surge To Three-year High $38.5bn, SAMA Reveals

RIYADH: Expatriate remittances from Saudi Arabia surged to SR144.2 billion ($38.45 billion) in 2024, a 14 percent increase over the preceding year, according to recent data.

Figures from the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, revealed that this figure is the highest in three years. In December alone, non-Saudi transfers totaled SR14.02 billion, a 31.7 percent increase on the same month last year.

Remittances sent abroad by Saudi citizens reached a two-year high in 2024, totaling SR68.61 billion — a 10.74 percent increase compared with 2023, according to SAMA data. 

In December, these transfers surged to their highest monthly value in more than seven years, reaching SR7.66 billion.

Thamer Al-Harbi, an expert on remittances, told Arab News that this significant surge can be largely attributed to the robust growth of the Saudi economy, driven by Vision 2030 projects.

He flagged up the “high demands to get (laborers) from different levels and skills and from many parts in the world,” adding that the statistics underline an increase in non-Saudi workers.

As these projects continue to expand, they require skilled and unskilled workers from all over the world, leading to a significant increase in the foreign workforce.

He also explained that expatriates sending money “to their loved ones” during the holiday season largely drove the 31.7 percent annual surge in December.

Reflecting on how economic and regulatory trends in Saudi Arabia and the recipient countries affect remittance fluctuations, he said: “It is playing a role. For example, the stability of their currency will reflect on remittance through banking channels as they trust the currency and they get a good rate.”

The expert said that the top destinations for remittances from Saudi Arabia align closely with the largest expatriate communities in the Kingdom. 

Citing data from the General Authority for Statistics, he noted that the five largest expatriate groups in Saudi Arabia are from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Egypt, and the Philippines.

These same countries are among the primary recipients of remittances, particularly for person-to-person transfers. The strong presence of these communities, coupled with family obligations and economic ties, continues to drive significant money flows to these destinations.

“The fintech post-COVID played a role in easing the customer experience, speeding up the movement of money to global bank accounts, and saving time by allowing senders to use the service at home without visiting centers or waiting in long queues,” Al-Harbi added.

“Today, most of the apps even provide the service in different languages, which gives customers the confidence to do this by themselves,” he said.

To explain the surge in transfers by Saudis, Al-Harbi said that the Kingdom’s citizens usually transfer to relatives abroad in Europe or the US to pay for tuition and bills related to their properties. 

Advances in blockchain technology and compliance solutions driven by artificial intelligence are enhancing the efficiency and security of cross-border transactions, according to a report by IBS Intelligence released in July. These innovations are crucial for improving financial inclusion and supporting the growth of the digital economy in the Middle East. Several fintech companies are driving this transformation, particularly in the realm of cross-border payments.

These include Careem Pay, a digital wallet service from the popular ride-hailing app, which facilitates peer-to-peer and bill payments, and international money transfers.

Other companies operating in this space are Mamo, a Dubai-based financial services company; PayMe, a fintech based in Egypt; and Saudi company urpay.

Al-Harbi said that, in general, the Kingdom offers lower transfer fees compared ith other GCC countries and regions such as Southeast Asia and Africa, particularly for major remittance corridors.

This can be attributed to the high volume of transactions and the presence of numerous remittance service providers, which create a competitive market and help keep costs relatively low for expatriates sending money abroad. 

Al-Harbi said that economic and regulatory trends in Saudi Arabia and recipient countries play a crucial role in shaping remittance flows.

One key factor is currency stability. When a local currency is stable, expatriates are more likely to send money through official banking channels, because they trust that their funds will retain value and that they will receive favorable exchange rates.

Additionally, regulatory policies in Saudi Arabia and recipient nations influence remittance trends. Policies that allow smooth and secure money transfers encourage more transactions through formal channels, while stricter regulations or economic instability in recipient countries may push some expatriates to seek alternative methods.