Saudi Arabia criminalises bribery in the public sector and, under its anti-corruption framework, bribery of foreign officials; enforcement is led by Nazaha, the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority. Anti-money laundering supervision involves the Saudi Central Bank and the Saudi Arabian Financial Intelligence Unit, and Saudi Arabia is a full FATF member. Government procurement runs through the Etimad portal under the Government Tenders and Procurement Law.
Bribery and corruption
The Combating Bribery Law and the Civil Service Law are the main anti-corruption laws, and the framework covers most forms of bribery and abuse of office, including foreign bribery. Officials convicted of accepting bribes face up to 10 years' imprisonment. Nazaha reports directly to the King and its powers were expanded by a new Nazaha Law approved in July 2024.
Saudi Arabia ratified the UN Convention against Corruption in April 2013 and joined the OECD Working Group on Bribery in 2021. For foreign companies this means gifts, hospitality, agents and government-facing intermediaries need the same controls as under home-country anti-bribery laws.1234
Money laundering, virtual assets and FATF
Saudi Arabia has been a full FATF member since 2019. The Saudi Central Bank and the Saudi Arabian Financial Intelligence Unit oversee money laundering, and the Anti-Money Laundering Law carries penalties of up to 15 years' imprisonment. Banks apply customer due diligence accordingly, so onboarding a new Saudi entity needs clear ownership and source-of-funds evidence.
Virtual asset service providers are not permitted in the Kingdom and virtual currency cannot be exchanged for riyals, which matters for payment, treasury and crypto-related business models.567
Public procurement and reporting concerns
Government purchasing is governed by the Government Tenders and Procurement Law, including procurement carried out outside the Kingdom, and bids run through the Etimad electronic portal. The Ministry of Finance sets policy and keeps a boycott list. Nazaha accepts corruption reports through its website, app and in person, which companies should reflect in their speak-up policies.83
| Area | Body | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-corruption | Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) | Investigates corruption; receives reports |
| Anti-money laundering | Saudi Central Bank (SAMA); Saudi Arabian Financial Intelligence Unit (SAFIU) | Supervision; suspicious transaction reporting |
| Public procurement | Ministry of Finance (Etimad portal) | Procurement policy, bidding platform, boycott list |
Documents usually needed
- Anti-bribery and corruption policy covering gifts, hospitality and intermediaries
- Third-party and agent due diligence files
- Beneficial ownership and source-of-funds evidence for bank onboarding
- Speak-up policy referring to internal and Nazaha reporting channels
Common mistakes
- Assuming home-country anti-bribery controls are enough without mapping Saudi government touchpoints.
- Using unvetted intermediaries for government tenders.
- Underestimating bank due diligence and source-of-funds questions at onboarding.
- Launching crypto or virtual asset services without checking the current prohibition.
When the business crosses borders
- Saudi Arabia is a UNCAC party and an OECD Working Group on Bribery participant, so cross-border corruption cooperation is expanding.
- FATF membership means Saudi banks apply FATF-standard due diligence to foreign-owned customers and counterparties.
What this guide does not yet confirm
These points need checking with a qualified local professional in Saudi Arabia before you rely on them.
- Exact penalties and the private-sector bribery provisions of the Combating Bribery Law were not confirmed on an official Saudi page.
- Whistle-blower protection legislation was not confirmed.
- Saudi sanctions implementation (UN targeted sanctions, national designations) was not researched on an official page.
- Mandatory insurance requirements (cooperative health insurance for employees, motor insurance) and the Insurance Authority's role were not confirmed.
- Corporate governance rules for listed companies (CMA Corporate Governance Regulations) and the Companies Law governance duties were not researched.
- The FATF country page and Nazaha website could not yet be checked; all points rely on a foreign-government summary.
Sources and review status
Each statement is numbered to the source it was checked against. We use official sources where we can, and each statement says whether it was checked against an official or a secondary source. Sources last checked on 19 October 2026. None of it has been professionally reviewed yet: it is research checked against official and secondary sources by WONE Global, not legal or tax advice.
The Combating Bribery Law and the Civil Service Law are the primary Saudi laws addressing corruption, and the anti-corruption framework covers most forms of bribery and abuse of office, including bribery of foreign officials.
Secondary (foreign government) source; the official Saudi text could not yet be checked run.
Government employees convicted of accepting bribes face up to 10 years' imprisonment or fines of up to about USD 267,000. Source states the fine in US dollars; the Saudi law sets fines in riyals.
Secondary (foreign government) source; the official Saudi text could not yet be checked run.
The Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) reports directly to the King, and a new Nazaha Law approved in July 2024 expanded its powers to combat financial and administrative corruption. Nazaha accepts corruption reports through its website, mobile app and in person.
Secondary (foreign government) source; the official Saudi text could not yet be checked run.
Saudi Arabia ratified the UN Convention against Corruption in April 2013 and joined the OECD Working Group on Bribery in February 2021.
Secondary (foreign government) source; the official Saudi text could not yet be checked run.
Saudi Arabia has been a full member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) since 2019, having been an observer since 2015.
Secondary (foreign government) source; the official Saudi text could not yet be checked run. The FATF country page could not yet be checked.
Money laundering supervision involves the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and the Saudi Arabian Financial Intelligence Unit (SAFIU), and penalties under the Anti-Money Laundering Law reach up to 15 years' imprisonment and fines of up to about USD 1.8 million. Source states fines in US dollars. Higher penalties may apply in aggravated cases.
Secondary (foreign government) source; the official Saudi text could not yet be checked run.
Virtual asset service providers remain prohibited in the Kingdom and virtual currency may not be exchanged for Saudi riyals. Position as described by the source; check SAMA and Capital Market Authority announcements for any change.
Secondary (foreign government) source; the official Saudi text could not yet be checked run.
Government procurement is governed by the Government Tenders and Procurement Law, applies to procurement by government entities including procurement executed outside the Kingdom, and runs through the Etimad electronic portal. The Ministry of Finance sets procurement policy and maintains a boycott list.
Secondary (foreign government) source; the official Saudi text could not yet be checked run.
Questions on this topic
8 statements on anti-corruption, aml, sanctions and compliance in Saudi Arabia
