Sudan plans banking app payment system in Saudi Arabia to capture remittances

August 29, 2026 (JEDDAH) – Sudan’s Ministry of Finance is finalizing an electronic payment framework integrated with mobile banking applications in Saudi Arabia to streamline remittances from its large diaspora and boost official revenue collection, a senior official said on Saturday.

The move comes as Khartoum seeks to channel vital foreign exchange inflows through official banking corridors after years of war severely disrupted trade and monetary systems.

Sudanese residents in Saudi Arabia have increasingly turned to informal money transfer networks in major cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah due to a widening gap between official and parallel currency exchange rates, strict global compliance hurdles, and recurring domestic telecom outages.

State Minister of Finance Mohamed Nour Abdel Daim said in a statement that the ministry is coordinating with the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Telecommunications to deploy the cross-border digital payment infrastructure.

Abdel Daim said the diaspora in the Gulf kingdom remains a critical partner for post-conflict recovery and economic stabilization.

The government is also offering targeted fiscal incentives to encourage voluntary returns, including full customs and tax exemptions for residential solar energy equipment and personal property, alongside waivers of domestic water utility fees.

Abdel Daim outlined a broader ministry policy aimed at shifting operational expenditures at overseas diplomatic missions into sovereign capital asset holdings.

The announcement came during a cornerstone-laying ceremony for Sudan’s new consulate general premises in Jeddah, attended by Foreign Minister Mohi El Din Salem and local community representatives.