Banking Market Report 2025
Saudi banking 2025: fee-free accounts, tiered eligibility, salary thresholds, and premium ladders shaping consumer access and benefits.
Free, Tiered, and Far From Simple
Saudi banking products, especially current accounts appear free on the surface, but competition in 2025 is not about monthly fees. It’s about access, eligibility thresholds, service promises, and tiered benefits.
With 43 live bank account deals across 11 providers, the market has enough choice to create confusion, but not enough that consumers can rely on brand alone. The battleground is “who qualifies for what,” and banks increasingly use accounts as ladders into premium relationships.
Market Snapshot (Giraffy Data — Dec 2025)
43 live account deals across 11 providers
42/43 priced at SAR 0 (fee-free framing dominates)
51.2% require SAR 0 minimum salary transfer
Strong premium gates at SAR 20k and SAR 40k
Product mix dominated by standard current accounts, with premium tiers embedded.
What the Market Looks Like
1) “Free” has shifted the battleground
When products are fee-free, banks compete via:
Salary transfer minimums
Tier upgrades
Service model and relationship management
Perks and ecosystem benefits
Onboarding friction (online vs branch)
2) The market has a visible affluence ladder
The salary thresholds reveal how banks segment Saudi consumers:
SAR 0 = mass onboarding
SAR 10–20k = mass affluent
SAR 40k+ = premium
SAR 75k = high-net-worth framing
3) Portfolio coverage matters
Some banks list multiple tiers and variants, building a structured ladder; others list a single hero product. This matters because consumers increasingly multi-bank: one account for salary, another for perks, another for travel.
4) Digital-first exists, but isn’t cleanly separated
Digital banking may be embedded into “standard account” naming rather than marketed as distinct products—creating an opportunity for clearer taxonomy and consumer education.
Why It Matters
For consumers
The true decision isn’t price; it’s qualifying criteria and benefits. Many consumers don’t know what tier they’re in, or what alternatives exist with lower friction or better perks.
For banks
Accounts are not just products—they’re entry points into lending, cards, wealth, and loyalty ecosystems. Clear segmentation and reduced friction win.