What's New with the Saudi Riyal Symbol?
The Saudi Riyal symbol has undergone important updates in 2024, improving its digital presence across platforms and devices. Here's everything you need to know about these changes.
Understanding the Saudi Riyal Symbol
The Saudi Riyal (﷼) is the official currency of Saudi Arabia, represented by the international code SAR. The symbol itself is a unique Arabic character (Unicode: U+FDFC) that has been part of the currency's identity since its standardization. One Riyal is divided into 100 Halalas, though coins of this denomination are rarely used in daily transactions.
The Riyal has been pegged to the US Dollar since 1986 at an exchange rate of approximately 3.75 SAR to 1 USD. This peg has provided stability for Saudi Arabia's economy and simplified international trade.
What's Changed in 2024?
The Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) introduced updated guidelines for digital representation of the Riyal symbol this year. These changes ensure consistent display across modern devices, operating systems, and applications. The updates focus on improving font rendering, standardizing sizing, and enhancing accessibility features.
One significant improvement is universal Unicode support. Previously, some older systems struggled to display the symbol correctly, often showing a blank space or incorrect character. The new standards guarantee proper rendering on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms.
How to Type the Riyal Symbol
Depending on your device, there are several ways to input the Riyal symbol:
Windows: Hold Alt and type 65020 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.
Mac: Enable the Arabic keyboard and use Option + R + L.
iOS/Android: Long-press on currency symbols in the keyboard or switch to the Arabic keyboard.
HTML/Web: Use the HTML entity ﷼ or ﷼
Business Usage Guidelines
For businesses operating in Saudi Arabia, proper use of the Riyal symbol is essential. SAMA recommends placing the symbol after the numerical amount in Arabic contexts and before in English contexts, though both placements are acceptable. When the symbol cannot be displayed properly, using "SAR" is the approved alternative.
Modern payment platforms and financial software, including apps like Ailoo, have integrated the official symbol across all transaction interfaces. This ensures customers see consistent, professional currency representation whether they're booking rides, ordering food, or managing payments.
Digital Transformation
As Saudi Arabia advances its Vision 2030 digital transformation goals, the proper representation of the Riyal symbol in digital spaces becomes increasingly important. The currency symbol is more than just a character—it represents national identity and economic sovereignty in the digital age.
Recent initiatives focus on enhancing digital payment systems while maintaining the cultural significance of traditional currency symbols. This includes ensuring the Riyal symbol displays correctly in QR codes, NFC payments, and blockchain-based transactions.
Best Practices
When using the Riyal symbol in your applications or documents:
- Always use the official ﷼ symbol for Saudi transactions when possible
- Ensure your software supports Unicode UTF-8 encoding
- Use "SAR" as a fallback when the symbol cannot be rendered
- Follow SAMA guidelines for official financial documentation
- Test symbol display across different devices and platforms
- Keep fonts updated to include the latest Riyal symbol rendering improvements
The updates to the Saudi Riyal symbol represent a small but significant step in Saudi Arabia's ongoing digital transformation. As the country continues to modernize its economy and financial systems, maintaining proper representation of its currency symbol ensures cultural continuity in an increasingly digital world.