Saudi Central Bank (SAMA)
Can a fintech access Saudi bank APIs without a SAMA licence?
Content reviewed 2026-08-14 · How we check sources
Short answer
Not merely because it has customer consent. If the fintech itself provides a regulated open-banking Payment Account Information or Payment Initiation service, it must fit SAMA’s authorisation framework; a technology vendor acting only for an authorised participant can be different.
What this means
The legal question is who is the open-banking service provider, not who built the API connector. Banks and payment account providers must interact with authorised providers under the relevant rules and standards.
Structure any vendor model so customer contracting, consent, data access and regulated responsibility clearly remain with the authorised entity if the fintech is not licensed itself.
Official sources
SAMA — Implementing Regulations of the Law of Payments and Payment Services ↗SAMA — Open Banking ↗Ask with your entity, activity and regulator.
Regulatory research, not legal advice. This answer has the scope and review date shown above; your institution decides applicability.