# Mada

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/mada
> research date 2026-05-29 · extracted at 2026-10-06
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [Mada — official](https://www.mada.com.sa/en)
- [Mada — Saudi Central Bank (SAMA)](https://www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/payment/Pages/Mada-1.aspx)
- [Saudi Payments Network (Mada) — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Payments_Network)

## Overview

**Mada** (Arabic: مدى, meaning "range" or "extent") is **Saudi Arabia's national payment network**, established by the **Saudi Central Bank (SAMA)** and operating since **1990 (originally branded SPAN — Saudi Payment Network)** <sup>[1][1], [2][2], [Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>. **Rebranded as "Mada" in 2015** with the launch of SPAN2 (the modernised EMV-compliant network) <sup>[3][3]</sup>. Mada is the **backbone of Saudi payment infrastructure** — connecting all 17,000+ ATMs and 225,000+ POS terminals across the Kingdom to a central payment switch, with **all Saudi banks mandated by SAMA to issue Mada-compatible cards** <sup>[1][1], [Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>.

By 2024 Mada had grown to **1.12 billion e-commerce transactions worth SAR 197.42 billion** — a **559 % growth from 170 million transactions in 2020** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>. **79 % of Saudi retail transactions are electronic** in 2024 <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>. The **SAQR** (Saudi QR Code) standard is Mada's QR payment overlay, with Alipay+ cross-border integration planned for 2026 <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>.

## History

**1990 — SPAN launches** <sup>[1][1], [4][4], [Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:
- Saudi Payment Network (SPAN) — the original name — launched in 1990.
- Initial scope: **ATM services**, plus Visa and Mastercard acceptance.
- Established by SAMA as a national payment-infrastructure initiative.

**1993 — POS service introduced** <sup>[4][4]</sup>: SPAN extended to **Point of Sale terminals**, enabling card payments at retail merchants beyond ATM cash withdrawal.

**SPAN2 modernisation (early 2010s)** <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup>: SAMA upgraded the original SPAN to SPAN2, with:
- **EMV (chip-and-PIN) compliance** — modern card security standard.
- **Higher-capacity infrastructure** — reduced transaction processing times, particularly at POS.
- **Foundation for the rebrand to Mada**.

**2015 — Rebrand to Mada** <sup>[3][3], [Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:
- SAMA launched the **new identity "Mada"** for the Saudi Payment Network.
- The Arabic word مدى means "range" or "extent" — signalling the network's nationwide reach.
- All Saudi banks transitioned to Mada-branded cards.

**Subsequent evolution** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:
- **Mada Pay** mobile wallet launched (Android-only).
- **SAQR** (Saudi QR Code) standard developed by SAMA for unified QR payment.
- **Apple Pay** active.
- **Samsung Pay** launched 2024.
- **Google Pay** launched **15 September 2025**.
- **JCB cards** integration 2025.

**E-commerce growth** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:

| Year | E-commerce transactions |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 170 million |
| 2024 | **1.12 billion** (+559 %) |

**Cross-border roadmap** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:
- **2026: Alipay+ cross-border QR payments** — SAMA and Ant International agreement to connect Mada with the Alipay+ network for inbound tourist payments.

## Technical specification

Mada operates as **the national payment switch connecting all Saudi banks** <sup>[1][1], [3][3], [Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:

| Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| **Operator** | **SAMA (Saudi Central Bank)** |
| **Type** | National card-and-payment network |
| **Settlement** | Real-time card authorisation; SARIE (Saudi Arabian Riyal Interbank Express) for high-value RTGS |
| **Currency** | **SAR (Saudi Riyal)** |
| **EMV compliance** | Yes — SPAN2 / Mada generation |
| **Coverage** | **All Saudi banks** (mandated by SAMA) |

**Infrastructure scale (2024)** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:
- **17,000+ ATMs** nationwide
- **225,000+ POS terminals**
- **1.12 billion e-commerce transactions**
- **SAR 197.42 billion** e-commerce value

**Payment methods** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:

| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| **Mada card** | Physical EMV chip-and-PIN debit card; universal Saudi card |
| **NFC contactless** | Mada Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay (as of Sept 2025) |
| **QR code (SAQR)** | Saudi QR Code standard — SAMA-defined for merchant QR payment |
| **P2P** | Mada Pay phone-number-based transfers |
| **Card emulation** | Traditional terminal acceptance |

**SAQR (Saudi QR Code Standard)** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:
- SAMA-regulated standard for QR payments.
- License required — only SAMA-approved companies can offer SAQR acquiring services.
- Used by Mada Pay, STC Pay, and licensed wallet providers.
- Supports merchant QR acceptance integrated with Mada bank-account rail.

**Mada Pay app features** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:
- **Android-only** (currently)
- NFC contactless payments
- QR code scanning
- P2P transfers
- SAMA regulated

**Saudi IBAN structure** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:
```
SA + 2 check digits + 2-digit bank code + 18-digit account number
Example: SA03 8000 0000 6080 1016 7519 (24 characters)
```

**Mada bank participation** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:

| Bank | Type | Mobile platform |
|---|---|---|
| **Al Rajhi Bank** | Islamic (largest globally) | Al Rajhi Mobile |
| **Saudi National Bank (SNB)** | Private (NCB merger) | SNB Mobile |
| **Riyad Bank** | Private | Riyad Bank App |
| **Saudi British Bank (SABB)** | Private | SABB Mobile |
| **Banque Saudi Fransi** | Private | BSF Mobile |

All Saudi banks operate on the Mada rail (SAMA mandate).

## Use cases

Mada is **universal across Saudi retail and consumer payment contexts** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA), [1][1]</sup>:

- **Retail point of sale** — universal Mada card acceptance at 225,000+ POS terminals. The structural use case.
- **ATM cash withdrawal** — 17,000+ ATMs; Mada cards universally accepted.
- **E-commerce** — **1.12 billion e-commerce transactions in 2024** (~559 % growth from 2020).
- **Government services and bill payments** — utilities, telecom, education fees.
- **Salary disbursement** — most Saudi employers pay via Mada bank-account transfer (alongside the **WPS — Wage Protection System** mandate for expatriate worker salaries).
- **Mobile contactless** — Apple Pay / Samsung Pay / Google Pay all linked to Mada cards.
- **QR payments (SAQR)** — Mada Pay and STC Pay merchant QR acceptance; growing as SAMA expands licensing.
- **Inbound tourism (2026 planned)** — Alipay+ cross-border QR integration for Chinese tourists.

**Growth metrics (2024)** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:
- **79 % of Saudi retail transactions are electronic**
- **SAR 197.42 billion e-commerce spending**
- **1.12 billion e-commerce transactions** (+559 % from 2020)
- **Universal Mada card coverage** across all Saudi banks (SAMA mandate)

**Tier-2-city expansion focus** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>: SAMA's policy push for 2024–2025 includes **POS adoption in smaller Saudi cities** beyond Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam — extending Mada's merchant base into Tier-2 and Tier-3 urban centres.

## Implementations

Mada integration is **SAMA + Mada-licensed bank-and-PSP-mediated**; no significant open-source library ecosystem <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>.

**Production bank apps consuming Mada** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:
- **Al Rajhi Mobile** (Al Rajhi Bank — world's largest Islamic bank)
- **SNB Mobile** (Saudi National Bank)
- **Riyad Bank App**
- **SABB Mobile**
- **BSF Mobile** (Banque Saudi Fransi)

Plus all other Saudi bank apps — universal Saudi banking-system coverage.

**Mobile wallets** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:

| App | Provider | NFC | QR |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Mada Pay** | SAMA | Yes (Android only) | Yes |
| **STC Pay** | STC (telecom) | Yes | Yes |
| **Apple Pay** | Apple (Mada-linked) | Yes | No |
| **Samsung Pay** | Samsung (Mada-linked) | Yes | No |
| **Google Pay** | Google (Mada-linked, Sept 2025) | Yes | No |

**Acquirer / merchant onboarding**:
- **All major Saudi banks** acquire merchants for Mada acceptance.
- **STC Pay** as a major Saudi fintech wallet.
- **New SAMA merchant acquirer licenses** issued through 2024–2025 to expand QR-acquiring competition.

**Reference documentation** <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup>:
- [Mada — SAMA page][2]
- [Mada — official website][1]
- [Mada / SAMA Rulebook][3]

## Comparison

**vs. [Aani](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/aani) (UAE)** — Saudi Arabia's nearest GCC peer. **Mada is a card-network-and-payment-rail** (since 1990, 35 years of installed base); **Aani is a newer instant-payment platform** (2023). Saudi Arabia has the older, deeper, broader payment infrastructure; UAE is following the modern central-bank-instant-payment + QR pattern. Both are FIT-programme-era (Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 = UAE's FIT programme equivalent) — strategic national payment-system modernisation <sup>[aani-ref], [Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>.

**vs. [UPI QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/upi-qr) (India)** — Both are central-bank-orchestrated national payment systems. UPI is purely instant-payment-rail (2016 launch); Mada is the older card-network-plus-QR layered model (1990 base + 2015 modernisation + ongoing QR additions). UPI scale much larger (~250 B transactions / year vs Mada's ~1.12 B e-commerce in 2024); but Saudi Arabia's per-capita Mada penetration is among the highest globally <sup>[India report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/IN)</sup>.

**vs. [Pix](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/pix) (Brazil), [PromptPay QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/promptpay-qr) (Thailand), [SGQR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/sgqr) (Singapore), [DuitNow QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/duitnow-qr) (Malaysia), [QRIS](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/qris) (Indonesia)** — All are modern (2017-2020) central-bank-orchestrated instant-payment-plus-QR systems. **Mada is structurally older** (1990 base) and **card-network-centric** rather than instant-payment-rail-centric. SAQR is the QR overlay; the modernisation pattern is gradual rather than greenfield-build <sup>[pix-ref], [Singapore report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SG)</sup>.

**vs. [Bharat QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/bharat-qr) (India card-network QR)** — Both are **card-network-plus-QR overlay** models. Bharat QR's complementary [UPI QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/upi-qr) eclipsed it; SAQR is currently the primary QR vehicle for Mada cards without a similar parallel-displacement competitor in Saudi Arabia [[bharat-qr-ref]].

**vs. [Wero](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/wero) (EU)** — Both are payment-sovereignty plays — Wero against US payment networks for Europe; Mada is structurally **Saudi-sovereignty-built-from-the-start** (1990 SAMA initiative) rather than catching up to US dominance. Different starting points; similar sovereignty motivations [[wero-ref]].

## Fun facts

**Mada's lineage goes back to 1990 — making it one of the oldest national payment networks in the Middle East** <sup>[1][1], [4][4]</sup>. Most peer national-payment systems are post-2010 builds; Saudi Arabia's SPAN (1990) → SPAN2 → Mada (2015 rebrand) reflects **35+ years of continuous national-payment-infrastructure investment**. The cumulative installed base — 17,000 ATMs, 225,000 POS terminals, every Saudi bank — is structurally hard to displace.

**SAMA mandates that all Saudi banks issue Mada-compatible cards** <sup>[1][1], [Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup> — this universal-mandate model is structurally similar to the EU's mandates for SEPA Credit Transfer participation but predates the EU model by ~15 years. **Saudi Arabia's Mada is one of the longest-running examples of mandatory-national-payment-network coverage globally**.

**E-commerce grew 559 % from 2020 to 2024** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup> — **the fastest e-commerce growth of any national Mada-equivalent system globally in that timeframe**. Drivers include:
- **COVID-19 acceleration** of digital payments globally.
- **Vision 2030 cashless-economy targets** specifically driving Saudi merchant onboarding.
- **Mada card universality** + **new Mada Pay / STC Pay mobile wallets** + **Apple Pay / Samsung Pay / Google Pay** layering convenience.
- **79 % of Saudi retail transactions electronic** in 2024 (from much lower base in 2020).

**Google Pay launched in Saudi Arabia on 15 September 2025** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup> — completing the **Apple Pay + Samsung Pay + Google Pay trio** for Saudi consumers. Each US mobile-wallet platform is **structurally linked to Mada cards** as the underlying payment account, demonstrating how Mada's installed-base universality enables both US and Saudi-domestic mobile-payment innovation on top of the same card-network rail.

**Al Rajhi Bank is the world's largest Islamic bank by assets** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup> — and a major Mada participant. The combination of **Islamic banking + national card-network mandate + modern digital wallets** creates a structurally distinctive Saudi payment ecosystem that doesn't map cleanly onto Western or Asian-emerging-market patterns.

**Alipay+ cross-border in 2026** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup> will enable Chinese tourists to use Alipay at Mada-accepting Saudi merchants. Given that Saudi Arabia is a major tourist and pilgrimage destination (Mecca, Medina, plus growing Vision-2030 tourism), this is one of the **most strategically important cross-border-QR integrations in development for inbound payment-acceptance economics**.

## Status

**Active, dominant, modernising under Vision 2030** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA), [1][1]</sup>:

- **35+ year continuous infrastructure** (since 1990)
- **17,000+ ATMs, 225,000+ POS terminals**
- **1.12 billion e-commerce transactions (2024)** (+559 % from 2020)
- **SAR 197.42 billion e-commerce value (2024)**
- **79 % electronic retail transactions**
- **All Saudi banks** participating (SAMA mandate)
- **Apple / Samsung / Google Pay** all live and Mada-linked

**Strategic trajectory** <sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>:
- **Vision 2030 cashless-economy targets** continue to drive merchant onboarding, particularly in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
- **Alipay+ cross-border QR (2026)** — major inbound-tourism integration.
- **SAQR expansion** — SAMA continues to license new merchant acquirers for QR acceptance.
- **Mada Pay growth** — Android-only currently; iOS may follow.
- **JCB integration** completing in 2025.

No deprecation planned. Mada is **the strategic Saudi national payment-infrastructure foundation for the foreseeable future**, with continuous modernisation overlays (QR, NFC, mobile wallet integration) rather than wholesale replacement.

## Sources

[1]: https://www.mada.com.sa/en
[2]: https://www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/payment/Pages/Mada-1.aspx
[3]: https://rulebook.sama.gov.sa/en/new-identity-saudi-payment-network-mada
[4]: https://saudipedia.com/en/article/1542/economy-and-business/the-timeline-for-the-mada-system
[5]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Payments_Network
[6]: https://giraffy.com/ksa/en/learn/banking-money/digital-wallets/mada-pay-complete-guide
[7]: https://practiceguides.chambers.com/practice-guides/fintech-2024/saudi-arabia
[8]: https://mea-finance.com/alipay-to-launch-in-saudi-arabia-facilitating-cross-border-mobile-payments-for-local-merchants/
[9]: https://whitesight.net/how-saudi-arabia-engineered-a-digital-payments-boom/
[10]: https://soulofsaudi.com/google-pay-saudi-arabia/
[sa-cro]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA
[aani-ref]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/standards/aani
[in-cro]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/IN
[pix-ref]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/standards/pix
[sg-cro]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SG
[bharat-qr-ref]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/standards/bharat-qr
[wero-ref]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/standards/wero

1. [Mada — official][1]
2. [Mada — SAMA page][2]
3. [Mada identity launch — SAMA Rulebook][3]
4. [Mada / SPAN timeline — Saudipedia][4]
5. [Saudi Payments Network — Wikipedia][5]
6. [Mada Pay guide — Giraffy][6]
7. [Fintech Saudi 2024 — Chambers][7]
8. [Alipay+ Saudi Arabia — MEA Finance][8]
9. [Saudi digital boom — WhiteSight][9]
10. [Google Pay Saudi Arabia — Soul of Saudi][10]
11. [SA-saudi-arabia.md]<sup>[Saudi Arabia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)</sup>

## Deployments

Found in the following country reports (grep across `reports/countries/`):

- **SA** — [SA-saudi-arabia.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/SA)