Paymentology, the leading global issuer processor, has released a new Quick Start Guide to help banks, fintechs and brands plan, build and run card programmes in Saudi Arabia. The guide is designed as a practical reference for teams that want to understand how issuing works in the Kingdom, from operating models and partner roles to regulation and local payment rails.

Card usage in Saudi Arabia continues to grow, supported by strong consumer adoption and modern national infrastructure. In 2025, the market counted roughly 57 million cards and more than SAR 1.2 trillion in annual spend. Debit drives over seven billion yearly transactions, prepaid issuance exceeds 21 million cards, and commercial card usage is rising at around 10% a year, with average spend expected to pass SAR 58,000 per card in 2026.

As this growth continues, issuers entering or expanding in the country need a clear view of how responsibilities are divided between issuers, licence sponsors, programme managers and processors, and how requirements from the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and Capital Market Authority (CMA) shape compliance and operational controls.

The guide - developed in collaboration with Flagship Advisory Partners - sets out these roles and expectations, and explains how domestic rails such as Mada, SADAD and SARIE affect routing, settlement and product design.

The publication sits alongside Paymentology’s expanded on-the-ground presence in Riyadh, announced in September, and forms part of its wider support for the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions in digital payments.

Nauman Hassan, Regional Director MENA at Paymentology said: “Saudi Arabia has become one of the most important payments markets in the region, with real scale, sophisticated infrastructure and clear national goals. Many issuers know they want to build here, but the detail of how the market works is not always obvious. This guide brings together the key points: the rules, the partners and the operating choices, so teams can move from a high-level idea to a plan they can execute.”

What the Quick Start Guide covers:

• Market picture: how Saudi Arabia’s card sector is structured, where spend is growing, and how debit, credit, prepaid and commercial cards compare.
• Operating options: the differences between in-house issuing, technical processing, programme management and co-branded approaches, and what each means in practice.
• Roles and regulation: how duties are split across issuers, licence sponsors, processors, programme managers and schemes under SAMA and CMA oversight.
• Local infrastructure: the role of Mada, SADAD and SARIE in routing, settlement, acceptance and product design.
• Roadmap to launch: a checklist and phased path from commercial strategy and partner selection through pilot, optimisation and scale.

Erik Howell, Partner at Flagship Advisory Partners, also commented: “Launching a card product here involves a specific mix of licensing, scheme requirements, operating decisions and the use of local rails. Working with Paymentology, we’ve brought these elements together in a way that helps issuers approach the market with clarity and confidence.”