1 Riyal

SAMA's earliest banknote issues were a politically delicate undertaking — the ulema had opposed paper currency on religious grounds, and the agency moved cautiously, initially issuing Haj Pilgrim Receipts before transitioning to general circulation notes. This 1 Riyal, part of the first full series printed by De La Rue, appeared against that backdrop of institutional tentativeness. The low denomination was deliberately accessible, aimed at easing public acceptance.

De La Rue had significant experience with Gulf-region currency by this point, but the Saudi contract required unusual sensitivity to Islamic conventions governing imagery. The watermark — rather than a portrait — reflects that constraint directly.