Riyad Bank and Mastercard Launch Corporate Travel and Expense Cards in Saudi Arabia
Riyad Bank has partnered with Mastercard to introduce a new travel and expense corporate card programme for businesses in Saudi Arabia, marking the bank’s first dedicated corporate card offering for the segment. The launch aims to help enterprises manage employee spending more efficiently while improving visibility over corporate expenses.
The programme includes two card variants: a versatile corporate card designed for day-to-day employee requirements and an executive card tailored for senior management. According to the companies, the new solution is intended to address the payment and expense management needs of organisations operating in the Kingdom and beyond.
The cards are integrated with Mastercard’s expense management tools, which allow businesses to monitor spending, capture transaction data, and streamline reconciliation processes. This functionality is expected to support finance teams in improving oversight and reducing the administrative burden associated with corporate travel and expense management.
Executives Highlight Business and Operational Benefits
Saud Swar, Country Manager for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan and other Levant at Mastercard, said the partnership reflects the company’s focus on serving enterprise travel and expense needs across the region.
“We are very pleased to have teamed up with Riyad Bank to serve the travel and expense needs of enterprises operating in the Kingdom and beyond,” Swar said.
Mohammed Abo Al-Naja, Chief Corporate Banking Officer at Riyad Bank, said the launch was developed to support businesses with solutions suited to different corporate use cases.
“Our new corporate card programme was created with this in mind, equipping enterprises with two tailored offerings that improve the efficiency of their travel and expense operations,” Abo Al-Naja said.
Aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Digital Payments Shift
The launch comes as Saudi Arabia continues to move toward a more cashless economy. Data from the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) shows that retail cashless payments increased to 85% in 2025, up from 79% in 2024.
This broader digital shift is taking place alongside growth in the corporate sector. The source also noted that more than 700 multinational companies have established regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, underscoring the country’s expanding role as a regional business hub.
In addition, SAMA figures indicate that spending by travellers abroad rose 7% to SAR 110.4 billion in 2025. The increase points to sustained demand for corporate travel-related financial products and expense management tools.
Industry Analysis
The Riyad Bank-Mastercard partnership reflects a wider trend in Saudi Arabia’s financial services market, where banks are increasingly launching specialised corporate payment solutions to meet the operational needs of businesses. As digital payments adoption rises and multinational activity grows, demand is likely to increase for tools that combine payment functionality with better control, reporting, and reconciliation.
For banks and payment networks, corporate cards represent an opportunity to deepen relationships with enterprise clients while supporting the Kingdom’s broader digital transformation agenda. The launch also suggests that travel and expense management is becoming a more important product category within Saudi Arabia’s evolving B2B payments landscape.
