Saudi IBAN Format Explained: Check Digits, Bank Codes, and How to Validate One

A Saudi IBAN is always 24 characters long and always starts with SA. The remaining 22 characters are not random: two are check digits, two name the bank, and eighteen are the account number itself. Once you know the layout, you can read any Saudi IBAN the way you read a number plate.

The check digits are the clever part. They are computed with a MOD-97 checksum defined by ISO 13616, the same standard used worldwide. The test catches almost every typing mistake, transposed digits included, before money ever moves.

This guide covers the 24-character anatomy, how the MOD-97 check works, the bank code table for the major Saudi banks, and the one disclaimer that matters most: a format-valid IBAN does not prove the account exists.

Figure 1: Every Saudi IBAN follows the same 24-character anatomy, whatever the bank.

The 24-character anatomy

A Saudi IBAN is built from four fixed parts, in this order:

• Positions 1-2: country code. Always SA for Saudi Arabia.
• Positions 3-4: check digits. Two digits computed from the rest of the IBAN with the MOD-97 algorithm.
• Positions 5-6: bank code. Two digits identifying the bank, for example 80 for Al Rajhi or 10 for Saudi National Bank.
• Positions 7-24: account number. Eighteen characters holding the domestic account number, padded as needed.

IBANs are usually printed in groups of four characters, like SA00 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000, purely to make them easier to read and copy. The spaces are cosmetic and are dropped when the IBAN is typed into a form or sent electronically.

Figure 2: Read positions 5 and 6 for the bank code; positions 3 and 4 are the check digits.

The MOD-97 check digit test

ISO 13616 defines a single test that every IBAN in the world must pass. It works in three steps:

1. Move the first four characters (the country code and check digits) to the end of the string.
2. Convert every letter to a number, with A=10, B=11, and so on through Z=35. Digits stay as they are.
3. Interpret the result as one long number and divide by 97. If the remainder is exactly 1, the IBAN is format-valid.

The test is strong because the check digits were chosen to make it pass. Change any single character, or swap two digits, and the remainder will almost certainly come out as something other than 1, which flags the mistake immediately. Banks run this test before accepting a transfer, and you can run it yourself on any IBAN you are about to use.

Saudi bank codes

The two digits at positions 5 and 6 identify the bank. The table below covers the major banks. Codes can change over time, so treat this as a reference and confirm with your bank if a code looks unfamiliar.

If the bank code in an IBAN does not match the bank named on the transfer instructions, stop and ask. A mismatched code is one of the clearest signs that an IBAN was copied wrong or belongs to a different account than expected.

Figure 3: Each bank's two-digit code sits at positions 5 and 6 of the IBAN.

Format-valid does not mean the account exists

This is the disclaimer that matters. The MOD-97 test proves the characters are internally consistent. It does not prove that the account exists, that it is open, or that it belongs to the person whose name is on the invoice. A well-formed IBAN can still point to a closed account, a wrong recipient, or an account number that was never issued.

For that reason, treat IBAN validation as the first check, not the last one. Confirm the recipient's name and bank through a separate channel before sending a large transfer, and be extra careful with IBANs received by email or message, where a single altered digit can redirect the money.

Validate an IBAN before you send

Running the MOD-97 arithmetic by hand on a 24-character string is tedious, so use the IBAN validator instead. Paste the IBAN, and it checks the length, the country code, the bank code position, and the MOD-97 checksum in one step.

Make it a habit: validate the format with the tool, match the bank code against the table above, and confirm the recipient separately. Those three checks together are what keep a transfer safe.

Frequently asked questions