Islamic finance
Nisab Today in SAR
The live zakat threshold in Saudi Riyal, from today's gold and silver prices (2026-09-27).
Gold nisab by karat in SAR
Nisab is 85 g of pure gold. Jewellery is alloyed, so the weight you need depends on the karat — the local standard in Saudi Riyal is 21K.
| Karat | Purity | Per gram today (SAR) | Grams for nisab |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24K | 99.9% | 516 | 85.1 g |
| 22K | 91.7% | 474 | 92.7 g |
| 21Klocal standard | 87.5% | 452 | 97.1 g |
| 18K | 75.0% | 388 | 113.3 g |
Spot metal value at 2026-09-27; shop prices add making charges and tax. Zakat itself is 2.5% of the value once you are above nisab.
Nisab in Saudi Arabia: 21K is the market standard
Saudi gold souks trade overwhelmingly in 21K, which is 87.5% pure: 100 grams of 21K jewellery contains 87.5 grams of pure gold, just over the 85-gram nisab. Because the riyal is pegged to the dollar, the nisab in SAR moves with the world gold price alone, not with an exchange rate.
The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) collects zakat from companies and commercial establishments; individuals pay zakat on cash and gold themselves, directly or through licensed charities and platforms. Nisab is measured in pure gold, and jewellery is never pure: multiply each piece's weight by its karat's purity (0.9167 for 22K, 0.875 for 21K, 0.75 for 18K, 0.585 for 14K) before comparing the total with 85 grams. The karat table above gives today's per-gram value of each karat in your currency for a quick valuation.
The zakat year
The zakat year (hawl) is lunar — about 354 days, not 365. Fixing one Hijri date each year (many people use Ramadan) keeps the calculation consistent; paying on a Gregorian anniversary drifts eleven days later every year.
Common situations for zakat payers in Saudi Arabia
Salary accounts: the balance on your zakat date counts, not the salary you earned across the year. A month-end balance that sits above the nisab all year, even if it dips between paydays, is zakatable in most scholarly opinions — the classical test is that the wealth stays above nisab at the start and end of the hawl.
Sukuk, Islamic funds and shares in the Tadawul: zakat is due on the market value of shares held for trading; for long-term holdings the common view is to zakat the zakatable assets of the company, and most Saudi listed companies publish a zakat-per-share figure for exactly that purpose. End-of-service benefits and GOSI pension contributions are generally not zakatable until they are received.
Debts: money you owe that falls due within the year is deducted from your zakatable wealth; a long-term murabaha home financing is deducted only for the instalments due in the coming year, according to the majority contemporary view.
Where Saudis pay zakat
Individuals pay directly to the poor, to the Ehsan national platform, or to licensed charities; ZATCA collects only from businesses and commercial establishments. If you run a registered business, ZATCA's assessment covers the business's zakat — your personal cash, gold and investments remain your own responsibility.
How to use these numbers
If your zakatable wealth in Saudi Riyal — cash in SAR, gold and silver, money owed to you, and business inventory — stays at or above the nisab for one full lunar year, zakat of 2.5% is due. Most scholars recommend checking against the lower silver figure (4,621 SAR today) so that zakat reaches more people.
Calculate exactly what you owe with the zakat calculator, value gold by weight and karat with zakat on gold, or see today's gold price in Saudi Arabia.
Nisab in other currencies
Frequently asked questions
What is the nisab in SAR today?+
Using the gold standard (85 g of pure gold), today's nisab is about 43,926 SAR. Using the silver standard (595 g) it is about 4,621 SAR. Figures refresh daily with metal prices and the SAR exchange rate.
Gold or silver standard — which should I use?+
Most scholars recommend the silver nisab because it is lower — zakat becomes due sooner and more of the poor benefit. The gold standard is also valid.
Why does the nisab in Saudi Riyal change?+
Two moving parts: the global gold/silver price, and the SAR exchange rate. Both update daily, so a nisab figure published months ago can be far off — this page always shows today's value.
Is zakat due on gold jewellery that I wear?+
Scholars differ. The Hanafi view is that zakat is due on all gold, worn or not; the majority view exempts ordinary personal jewellery unless it is held as savings. Many people pay on it to be safe; follow the authority you rely on.
Is zakat due on my end-of-service benefit?+
Not until you receive it. Once paid, it joins your cash and becomes zakatable when the wealth completes a hawl above nisab; some scholars say to pay on it immediately if the rest of your wealth already has a running hawl.