Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority Launched New Polymer Banknote

Saudi Arabia recently issued a new 5-riyals polymer bank note. Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) said that this was a step towards developing the new national currency.

The new note includes state of the art security features and it is made from environmentally friendly material sourced from materials produced by Saudi petrochemical industry.

The new bill is highly resistant to temperatures, dirt and moisture, and it is not easily damaged when folded.

SAMA says that new 5- riyal denomination will be distributed along with the five-riyal denomination currently in circulation.

The design of this denomination includes, on the front side, picture, of the King Salman and image of the Shaybah fields in the Empty Quarter, in addition to the shape of the transparent window that contains motifs inspired by the logo of Saudi Vision 2030. On the back of the bill, view of wildflowers from the Kingdom has been printed. The special effects printed on the new banknote also helps visually impaired to recognize the value of denomination while touching it. The note also contains microtexts which are printed across the front side of the note and can only be seen using a magnifying glass. Optically variable inks (OVI) also have been used for printing of the new banknote. This ink displays two distinct colors depending on the angle the bill is viewed at.