Compare the Best Ways to Send Money from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria

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Send money from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria

A shortlist of providers verified to serve this route — and exactly how the money reaches a Nigerian bank account.

Last reviewed 1 July 2026·By Mike Smith, FX specialist
Saudi Arabia flagSAR
Nigeria flagNGN
Indicative
No live quote on this route — yet

Our comparison engine doesn't price Saudi-origin transfers yet. Instead, here's a shortlist of providers verified to move money on this corridor — confirm their live rate and fee on their own site before you send.

6 verified providersReviewed today

Indicative options · not a live quote

Sending money from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria

Our live price comparison can't quote Saudi-origin transfers yet, but money genuinely moves on this route every day — hundreds of thousands of Nigerians work in the Kingdom, many around Makkah and Madinah, and Saudi Arabia is one of the largest sources of money sent home from the Gulf. The providers below are verified to operate this corridor. Rates and fees are set by each provider and must be confirmed on their own site before you send.

ProviderPayout methodSpeed
Western Union logo
Branches, app and online across Saudi ArabiaWidely available
Bank deposit (NUBAN) or cash pickupMinutes to same day (bank deposit can take longer)Visit site
MoneyGram logo
Agent locations across the Kingdom; send in branch
Bank deposit, cash pickup or walletMinutes to same dayVisit site
Enjaz (Bank AlBilad) logo
Saudi Arabia's largest expat remittance house — app, branches and POS pointsExchange house
Bank deposit or cash pickupMinutes to same dayVisit site
Tahweel Al Rajhi logo
Al Rajhi Bank's remittance arm — branches, ATMs and the Al Rajhi appLocal bank
Bank deposit to a Nigerian accountSame day, often within the hourVisit site
STC Pay logo
Saudi digital wallet — app only, for KSA mobile numbersWallet app
Bank deposit or walletMinutes to same dayVisit site
urpay logo
Saudi digital wallet — app only, routes via major payout partnersWallet app
Bank deposit to a Nigerian accountSame dayVisit site
Indicative options, not a live quote · last reviewed 1 July 2026. These providers are verified to serve the Saudi Arabia–Nigeria route, but live exchange rates and fees are set by each provider and are not shown here — confirm them on the provider's own site before you send. Currency Expert may earn a commission from some providers, at no cost to you; it never changes which providers we list.

Almost every transfer from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria now lands as a direct deposit into the recipient's Nigerian bank account, paid out in naira. The account is identified by a 10-digit NUBAN number, and Nigeria's instant-payment rail (NIP) usually credits it within minutes once the provider releases the money. The headline fee is only part of the picture — what really decides the cost is the margin added to the exchange rate, so always compare the naira that actually arrive, not just the upfront fee.

Key facts — Saudi Arabia to Nigeria
Send currency: Saudi riyal (SAR, ﷼)
Receive currency: Nigerian naira (NGN, ₦) — payout is naira only
Account details: recipient's 10-digit NUBAN account number + bank name
Fastest rail: bank deposit over Nigeria's instant NIP network — usually within minutes
Controls: Saudi Arabia has very few currency controls — you can send freely with valid ID
ID to send: a valid Iqama (residence permit) or national ID is required
Why no live rate here: our engine doesn't yet price transfers that start in Saudi Arabia — this page is a verified shortlist, not a quote
01

Why Saudi Arabia to Nigeria shows no live prices yet

Currency Expert's live comparison engine prices transfers that start in the UK and a handful of other major sending countries, where the providers we connect to operate. None of those providers currently quote transfers that start in Saudi Arabia, so the route comes back empty even though real services move money on it every day.

Until we can pull live Saudi rates, this page lists providers verified to serve the corridor rather than a live price table. Treat the page as a shortlist, not a quote — and always confirm the rate and fee on the provider's own site before you commit.

02

How the money reaches Nigeria

Nearly all transfers land as a direct deposit into the recipient's Nigerian bank account. The account is identified by a 10-digit NUBAN number, and Nigeria's instant-payment system (NIP) means the money usually appears within minutes once the provider releases it. Cash pickup exists too, but for anything over about 200 US dollars the payout must go into a bank account.

Bank deposit (NUBAN) — 10-digit account number, paid in naira over the instant NIP rail
Usually minutes
Cash pickup — collected at an agent with ID + reference (small amounts only)
Minutes to same day
Mobile wallet — some providers pay into a Nigerian mobile-money wallet
Minutes to same day

By law, the money is paid out to your recipient in Nigerian naira — Nigeria's central bank requires all inbound transfers to be delivered in local currency, so the recipient can't be paid in dollars or riyals.

03

What sending money to Nigeria really costs

Saudi Arabia to Nigeria is not a cheap corridor — an all-in cost of 3 to 8 percent is common on a traditional bank wire. The headline fee is only part of it; the bigger number is usually hidden inside the exchange rate. Here's where each slice goes.

01

The exchange-rate margin

This is normally the largest cost — the gap between the real mid-market rate and the rate you're offered. Exchange houses and banks often add a couple of percent or more; on a larger transfer this dwarfs any upfront fee.

02

Intermediary-bank fees

Transfers routed through the traditional SWIFT bank network can lose money to intermediary banks along the way. Services that pay out over Nigeria's local NIP rail usually avoid this.

03

The official-rate rule

Nigerian regulators require money-transfer operators to pay out at the prevailing market rate, so quoted rates between compliant providers are closer than they used to be. Compare the naira that actually arrive, not just the fee shown.

04

Tax and rules on each side

Sending from Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia charges no personal income tax and no gift, inheritance or exit tax on money individuals send abroad, and there are no reporting thresholds for personal remittances. Currency controls are minimal — you can buy foreign currency and send it freely through a licensed provider. You'll need a valid Iqama or national ID to send, and very large transfers may need extra checks.

Receiving in Nigeria

Nigeria does not tax personal or family remittances — genuine transfers for support or gifts aren't treated as taxable income. But by central-bank rule the money is paid out only in naira, at the official market rate. If a recipient is promised a dollar payout on this route, treat it as a red flag.

05

Funding your transfer without overpaying

Paying from a Saudi bank account or a mada debit card is usually the cheapest way to fund a transfer. Funding with a credit card is often treated by the card issuer as a cash advance, which can trigger a one-off fee and interest from day one with no grace period — quietly making a cheap-looking transfer expensive. Check how your card treats the payment before you use it, and have your Iqama to hand for the identity check.

06

Scams to watch on this route

Most traps on this corridor target the sender with a fake reason to pay, or the recipient with a fake windfall. These few rules are worth passing on.

Advance-fee ("419") schemes

Rule: never pay an upfront "fee", "tax" or "clearance" to unlock a larger sum you've supposedly been promised. Genuine money never requires you to pay to receive it.

Job and visa offers

Rule: be very wary of anyone asking you to send money to secure a job, visa or travel to the Kingdom. Legitimate employers and agents don't collect fees this way over a remittance app.

Romance and "emergency" requests

Rule: an urgent request for money from an online partner or a "relative in trouble" may be an impersonator. Confirm directly on a number you already know before sending anything.

Confirm before you send

Rule: check the recipient's name and 10-digit NUBAN against details they sent you in writing, and use a verified provider rather than a stranger offering a "better rate" off-platform.

07

How most people send money from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria

Takeaway

For most people sending money from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria, the simplest route is a verified provider paying into the recipient's Nigerian bank account (NUBAN) in naira over the instant NIP rail. Because we can't show a live quote here yet, treat this page as a vetted shortlist — then judge each option by the naira that actually arrive after the rate margin, and confirm the recipient's details before you send.

08

Saudi Arabia to Nigeria transfers: frequently asked questions

Our live comparison engine prices transfers that start in the UK and a few other major sending countries. It doesn't yet quote transfers that start in Saudi Arabia, so instead of an empty table we list providers verified to serve the corridor. Confirm the live rate and fee on each provider's own site before you send.

Usually the recipient's full name and their 10-digit NUBAN bank account number, plus the name of their Nigerian bank. For cash pickup you'll need the recipient's name and a reference number. You'll also need your own valid ID — a Saudi Iqama or national ID — to send.

Naira. Nigeria's central bank requires all inbound money transfers to be paid out to the recipient in local currency at the official market rate, so the money arrives as Nigerian naira in their bank account. If anyone promises a dollar cash payout on this route, treat it as a warning sign.

Bank deposits usually arrive within minutes, because Nigeria's instant-payment rail (NIP) credits accounts in real time once the provider releases the money. Cash pickup is typically available the same day. The provider will show an estimated delivery time before you confirm.

This is not a cheap corridor — an all-in cost of roughly 3 to 8 percent is common on traditional routes. Most of that hides in the exchange-rate margin rather than the upfront fee. Because Nigerian rules now require operators to use the official market rate, compliant providers are closer on rate than they used to be, so compare the naira that actually arrive.

No. Nigeria does not tax personal or family remittances — genuine transfers sent for support or as gifts are not treated as taxable income. Saudi Arabia also charges no tax on individuals sending money abroad. Tax only applies to income earned from work, business or investments, not to family support.

Paying from a Saudi bank account or a mada debit card is usually cheapest. Avoid funding with a credit card where you can — issuers often treat it as a cash advance, adding a one-off fee and interest from day one. And always compare the exchange-rate margin, not just the upfront fee, since the margin is where most of the cost hides.

09

Our sources & how we keep this current

Last reviewed: 1 July 2026. We re-check the providers and rules on this corridor regularly, and will switch this page to a live price table as soon as our engine can quote Saudi-origin transfers.

Affiliate disclosure: the "Visit site" links to some providers are affiliate links. Currency Expert may earn a commission, at no cost to you, if you open an account through them. It never changes which providers we list or the order they appear in.