SAMA Cybersecurity Rules for Banks Explained

Saudi Living reports that licensed banks and other financial institutions supervised by the Saudi Central Bank remain bound by a mandatory cybersecurity framework covering governance, risk management, day-to-day operations, and the handling of third-party and vendor risks. The framework applies across the Kingdom, including institutions operating in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.

Under the current baseline, institutions must reach a minimum of Level 3 maturity across the framework's domains. This threshold is designed to ensure that banks maintain consistent, well-documented controls rather than ad-hoc practices when protecting customer data and financial systems.

Key requirements

The framework requires a 24/7 security operations center (SOC) capability so threats can be detected and addressed at any hour. It also mandates multi-factor authentication (MFA) for privileged accounts, formal risk assessments of third-party vendors, and regular testing of incident response plans.

Oversight is expected to sit at the highest level of each institution. The requirements point to board-level cybersecurity supervision and more frequent reporting, with semi-annual reporting to the board and immediate notification in the event of a breach. Independent third-party review, or external assurance, is also required so that controls are validated by parties outside the institution.

Why it matters to the community: for residents and expats in the Kingdom, these standards translate into stronger safeguards for online banking, card transactions, and personal financial information. The emphasis on round-the-clock monitoring and rapid breach notification is intended to reduce the impact of cyber incidents and give customers greater confidence in the security of everyday banking services.

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