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IBAN format of Saudi Arabia: 24 characters, starts with SA

An IBAN of Saudi Arabia is 24 characters long and begins with SA. Here is what each part means, a made-up example, and how to check one.

Made-up example (not a real account)

SA26 1234 5678 9012 3456 7890

  • SACountry
  • 26Check digits
  • 12Bank code
  • 345678901234567890Account number
Length
24 characters
Starts with
SA
After the check digits
2 digits, then 18 letters or digits
Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA)
No
Layout code in the registry
SA2!n2!n18!c

Part by part

PositionPartMade ofIn the example
1 to 2Country code2 capital letters: SASA
3 to 4IBAN check digits2 digits26
5 to 6Bank code2 digits12
7 to 24Account number18 letters or digits345678901234567890

The parts with a name here are: Bank code, account number. The bank decides the bank code and the account number; you never have to work them out yourself. The layout code SA2!n2!n18!c is how the registry writes this: a number, then n for digits, a for capital letters or c for letters or digits.

How to check an IBAN of Saudi Arabia

  1. Count the characters without spaces. There must be exactly 24.
  2. The first two must be SA, and the next two must be digits.
  3. After those four, the rest must follow the layout: 2 digits, then 18 letters or digits.
  4. Run the check-digit test. The IBAN checker does all four steps for you and shows which one fails.

Writing it down

On paper, an IBAN is written in groups of four characters with spaces, as in the example above, so that it is easier to read and compare. In online banking and in files it is entered without spaces. Both forms are the same IBAN. Letters are always capitals.

How it compares

At 24 characters, it sits between the shortest IBAN in the registry (Norway, 15 characters) and the longest (Russia, 33 characters). The same length is used by Andorra, British Virgin Islands, Czechia, Moldova, Pakistan, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, each with its own layout. It mixes letters and digits after the check digits.

Common questions

How many characters does an IBAN of Saudi Arabia have?

An IBAN of Saudi Arabia always has 24 characters: the letters SA, two check digits and 20 more characters for the bank and the account.

What does an IBAN of Saudi Arabia start with?

It starts with SA, the country code, followed by two check digits.

Is Saudi Arabia in SEPA?

No. Saudi Arabia uses IBAN but is not part of the Single Euro Payments Area.

Layout checked in November 2026 against the SWIFT IBAN Registry data. The example is made up. For a payment, use only the IBAN given by the account holder or the bank, and check with the bank if in doubt.

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