To send money from the Philippines to Saudi Arabia in 2026, the practical routes are Western Union, a bank wire in US dollars, or — if the corridor is available to you — Wise. This is a reverse corridor: the overwhelming majority of remittance traffic between the two countries flows from Saudi Arabia to the Philippines, so most of the apps Filipinos know (Remitly, WorldRemit, Xoom, GCash) simply do not let you send out of the Philippines. The service that definitely does is Western Union, whose Philippine site lists the Saudi riyal (SAR) as a supported receive currency, with fees starting around 75 pesos and a 0 peso fee promo on your first online transfer. On 2 November 2026 the mid-market rate is about 16.99 Philippine pesos per Saudi riyal, so a 50,000 peso transfer is worth roughly 2,943 SAR before fees — about 3% less buying power than the six-month average.
PHP to SAR Exchange Rate Today
The Saudi riyal has been pegged to the US dollar at 3.75 SAR per USD since 1986, so the PHP to SAR rate moves exactly in step with the US dollar to Philippine peso rate. When the peso weakens against the dollar, it weakens against the riyal by the same percentage.
| Amount sent (PHP) | Mid-market value (SAR) |
|---|---|
| PHP 10,000 | SAR 588.66 |
| PHP 25,000 | SAR 1,471.66 |
| PHP 50,000 | SAR 2,943.31 |
| PHP 100,000 | SAR 5,886.63 |
Over the past six months the peso cost of one riyal has moved in a band between PHP 15.99 (8 May 2026) and PHP 17.06 (28 October 2026), averaging PHP 16.50. At the current 16.99, you need about 3% more pesos per riyal than the six-month average and 6.2% more than the May low. In practice, a 50,000 peso transfer today delivers roughly 184 SAR less than the same transfer at the May peak — a difference of more than 3,000 pesos. That is why checking the live rate before you send matters more than chasing a 1% fee difference.
Why This Corridor Works Differently from the Reverse Direction
More than a million Filipinos live and work in Saudi Arabia, and the Kingdom has long been the single largest destination for overseas Filipino workers. Remittance flows therefore run Saudi Arabia to the Philippines. Providers built their apps around that direction: they are licensed as senders in the US, Canada, UK, Europe and the Gulf, and as receivers in the Philippines. Sending money out of the Philippines is a much smaller market, which is why the Philippines to Saudi Arabia corridor has fewer options and higher effective costs. The upside is that the options which do exist — Western Union and the big Philippine banks — are extremely reliable, and the recipient in Saudi Arabia has excellent payout coverage through bank deposit, cash pickup and mobile wallets.
Quick Comparison: Best Ways to Send PHP to Saudi Arabia in 2026
| Provider | Send from PH? | Payout in KSA | Typical cost on PHP 50,000 | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Union (app or agent) | Yes — SAR supported | Bank deposit, cash pickup, wallet | 175 pesos fee + 1-2% rate margin (est.) | Minutes to 1 day |
| BPI outward remittance | Yes — in USD (SAR not offered) | Any Saudi bank that accepts USD | USD 10 digital fee + correspondent charges (est.) | 1-5 business days |
| BDO, Metrobank, UnionBank wires | Yes — USD or SAR via SWIFT | Saudi bank account (IBAN) | USD 10-35 + correspondent charges (est.) | 1-5 business days |
| Wise | Partial — PHP to USD confirmed; check SAR in app | Bank account where supported | Around 0.5-1% total (est.) | 1-2 days |
| Remitly, WorldRemit, Xoom | No — not available for PH senders | — | — | — |
| GCash, Maya | No — receive-only for this corridor | — | — | — |
Western Union: The One Major App That Covers PH to KSA
Western Union is the anchor provider for this corridor. The Philippine site lists SAR — Saudi Arabia as a receive currency, advertises fees from 75.00 PHP (reduced to 0.00 PHP on your first online transfer), and offers the three payout types that matter in the Kingdom: bank account deposit to Saudi banks, cash pickup at partner agent locations, and mobile wallet delivery where supported. For a 50,000 peso transfer you can expect a fee in the 150 to 250 peso range plus a rate margin that is typically 1% to 2.5% below the mid-market rate. The trade-off is simple: Western Union is usually the fastest (cash and wallet payouts arrive in minutes, bank deposits within one business day) but slightly more expensive than a bank wire for large amounts. Two practical tips: send online rather than at an agent counter to get the discounted fee, and always compare the quoted rate against the mid-market rate shown in the table above before you confirm.
Bank Wire via BPI: Cheapest for Large Amounts, but in USD
BPI operates a dedicated outward remittance service for personal accounts. One detail matters more than any other: BPI does not offer the Saudi riyal as a send currency. The bank's own FAQ lists SAR among the currencies it does not handle, and instructs customers to send the transaction in US dollars instead — funds are debited from the peso or FCDU account and credited to the receiving bank in USD. The published fee is USD 10 per transaction for digital channel outward remittances (USD 14 at branches), and the maximum is USD 10,000 or PHP 500,000 per transaction, subject to the receiving bank's own limits. Because the transfer goes in USD, two extra costs appear: the bank's peso-to-dollar conversion margin, and correspondent bank charges deducted along the way (typically USD 15 to 30 on a Saudi-bound wire, though this varies by routing). On a 50,000 peso transfer the total cost usually lands between 1.5% and 3.5% — comparable to Western Union for larger amounts, and cheaper once you get into the 100,000 peso range.
BDO, Metrobank and UnionBank: The SWIFT Alternative
If you hold accounts at BDO, Metrobank or UnionBank, your own bank's wire transfer desk is a legitimate alternative. These banks route through SWIFT and can generally deliver SAR directly to a Saudi bank account if your branch supports the currency, or USD if it does not. Fees are set by each bank's schedule and typically run from USD 10 to 35 for international wires, with correspondent charges on top. The receiving Saudi bank may also apply an inbound fee, which some banks deduct from the credited amount. Before you initiate a wire, ask your branch three questions: whether they can send SAR directly, what the all-in fee is including correspondent costs, and what the cut-off time is — wires submitted after the cut-off usually slip to the next business day, and Saudi weekends are Friday and Saturday, which can add days to a Thursday submission.
Wise, Remitly, WorldRemit and Xoom: What Actually Works From the Philippines
This is where most people get confused, and the honest answer is: Remitly, WorldRemit and Xoom cannot be used to send money out of the Philippines. They are licensed to send from the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Australia, and their Philippines operations are receive-side only. Xoom's Philippine pages, for example, are about sending money to the Philippines, not from it. Wise is the partial exception: the Philippine site confirms you can pay in PHP from a debit card, credit card or online banking, and the published example quotes a 252.82 PHP cost for sending 50,000 PHP to USD, using the mid-market rate with fees shown upfront. Wise caps transfers at 490,000 PHP for Philippine residents. However, Wise does not currently publish a PHP to SAR route on its Philippine site, so if your recipient needs riyals in a Saudi bank account, open the app and check whether the SAR payout option appears for your specific recipient before relying on it. If it does not, use Western Union or a bank wire instead.
GCash and Maya: Excellent for Receiving, Not for Sending to KSA
GCash and Maya are the most common wallets in the Philippines, so it is worth being precise about what they can and cannot do on this corridor. GCash cannot send money to Saudi Arabia from the Philippines. What it can do is receive funds from abroad: the GCash Overseas service is officially available to users in Saudi Arabia, and the app supports receiving remittances from global corridors. Maya plays a similar receive-side role through its Western Union partnership, which lets recipients claim international remittances in the app. In other words, if your family in the Philippines needs money from Saudi Arabia, GCash and Maya are excellent payout rails — but for the Philippines to Saudi Arabia direction, they are not part of the solution.
What the Recipient in Saudi Arabia Needs
To receive money in the Kingdom the recipient needs one of the following: a Saudi bank account, a mobile wallet such as stc pay or Urpay, or access to a cash pickup location. For bank deposit, the critical detail is the Saudi IBAN: it always starts with SA and is 24 characters long (two letters for the country code, two check digits, a two-digit bank code, and an 18-digit account number). Common bank codes include 10 for SNB, 20 for SABB, 30 for Riyad Bank, 80 for Al Rajhi and 90 for Alinma. The full IBAN format is SA + 22 digits, and the name on the receiving account must match the recipient's national ID or iqama exactly — a mismatch is the number one cause of returned transfers. For cash pickup, the recipient needs a valid ID plus the tracking or reference number from the sender. For wallet delivery, the recipient's wallet must be activated with a Saudi mobile number, which effectively requires the recipient to live in the Kingdom.
Worked Example: What a PHP 50,000 Transfer Really Costs
| Route | Fee (est.) | Rate margin (est.) | Recipient gets (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-market reference | — | 0% | SAR 2,943 |
| Western Union online | PHP 175 | 1.5% | SAR 2,866 |
| Western Union agent | PHP 250 | 2.5% | SAR 2,817 |
| BPI wire in USD | USD 10 + USD 20 correspondent | 0.8% | SAR 2,857 |
| Wise (if SAR route available) | PHP 253 | 0.5% | SAR 2,908 |
The pattern holds across all sizes: the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive route on a 50,000 peso transfer is roughly 90 to 130 SAR — about 1,500 to 2,200 pesos. On small urgent transfers Western Union's instant cash payout justifies its margin. On large transfers, or when the recipient can wait a day or two, a bank wire or a mid-market app like Wise saves real money. The figure that moves the needle most, though, is the exchange rate itself: sending at the May peak instead of today would have been worth about 184 SAR more on this exact transfer.
How Fast Does a Philippines to Saudi Transfer Arrive?
Western Union cash pickup and wallet payouts arrive in minutes and are available around the clock. Western Union bank deposits typically settle within one business day. Bank wires take one to five business days depending on when you submit, the routing bank, and whether the wire lands on a Saudi weekend (Friday and Saturday). Wise transfers, where available, usually settle within one to two business days. If the money is urgent — school fees, medical costs, or a family emergency — choose a provider with cash or wallet payout and accept the higher rate margin. If the transfer can wait, you can save money by submitting a wire early in the week and avoiding the Thursday-to-Saturday dead zone.
Documents and Compliance on Both Sides
Philippine regulations require all remittance providers to be BSP-registered and to apply know-your-customer checks. For your first transfer you will need a valid government-issued ID and, for bank wires, an account in your own name. Banks ask for the purpose of the remittance — education, family support, business payment or investment — and may request supporting documents (a school invoice, a contract, or a proof of relationship) above their internal thresholds. Outward remittances do not require prior BSP approval for personal amounts within standard limits, but your bank decides what documentation applies to your transaction. On the Saudi side, SAMA-regulated banks apply their own inbound rules: the beneficiary name must match the account holder's ID, and unusually large or frequent transfers can trigger source-of-funds questions. Keep your receipts and the purpose information consistent — it makes both sides smoother and protects you if a transfer is ever held for review.
Six Habits That Get You a Better PHP to SAR Rate
Check the mid-market rate first. The table at the top of this guide is your reference; any quote more than 2% away from it is expensive. Send online, not at a counter. Digital channels on Western Union and BPI carry lower fees than branches. Be careful with USD round-trips. If your bank converts peso to dollars and the Saudi bank converts dollars to riyals, you pay two margins — ask for a direct SAR wire if the bank offers it. Batch your transfers. One 100,000 peso transfer costs less in fees than four 25,000 peso transfers and qualifies for better rate tiers. Time the week, not the market. Send Monday to Wednesday so wires do not sit over the Saudi weekend; do not try to time the peso — it tracks the dollar, and the dollar does not move on your schedule. Keep your KYC current. An expired ID or an outdated address is the most common reason a perfectly good transfer gets delayed.
FAQ
What is the PHP to SAR exchange rate today?
On 2 November 2026 the mid-market rate is about 16.99 Philippine pesos per Saudi riyal, so 1,000 SAR is worth roughly PHP 16,988 and a 50,000 peso transfer is worth about 2,943 SAR before fees. Providers typically quote between 0.5% and 2.5% below the mid-market rate.
Can I send money from the Philippines to Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Western Union operates a Philippines to Saudi Arabia route with SAR as a supported receive currency, and Philippine banks such as BPI, BDO, Metrobank and UnionBank can wire money to Saudi bank accounts — usually in USD, since most Philippine banks do not offer SAR directly.
What is the cheapest way to send money to Saudi Arabia from the Philippines?
For large amounts, a bank wire (around USD 10 fee plus correspondent charges) is usually cheapest. For medium amounts, Western Union online with the discounted fee is competitive. Wise is cheapest where its SAR route is available, but the app must be checked per recipient because the route is not published for the Philippines.
Does Western Union send money from the Philippines to Saudi Arabia?
Yes. The Philippine Western Union site lists SAR — Saudi Arabia among its receive currencies, advertises fees from 75 pesos (0 pesos on the first online transfer), and supports bank deposit, cash pickup and wallet payout in the Kingdom.
Can I send SAR directly from BPI or BDO?
BPI does not offer SAR as a send currency and instructs customers to send in USD instead, debited from a peso or FCDU account. Some branches of BDO, Metrobank and UnionBank can route SAR directly via SWIFT — confirm with your branch, because most wires still go out in USD.
Why can't I use Remitly, WorldRemit, Xoom or GCash to send to Saudi Arabia?
Those services are licensed to send money from the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Australia, and their Philippine operations are receive-side only. GCash and Maya can receive remittances in Saudi Arabia but cannot send money out of the Philippines to the Kingdom.
How long does it take to send money from the Philippines to Saudi Arabia?
Western Union cash pickup and wallet payouts arrive in minutes, bank deposits in about one business day, and SWIFT bank wires in one to five business days. Wires submitted on a Thursday can be delayed by the Saudi weekend, which falls on Friday and Saturday.
What details do I need to send money to a Saudi bank account?
The recipient's full name (exactly as shown on their ID), the 24-character Saudi IBAN starting with SA, the bank name, and optionally the SWIFT/BIC code of the receiving bank. For wires in USD, confirm the receiving bank accepts USD; otherwise the transfer must be converted or returned.
How much does a bank wire from the Philippines to Saudi Arabia cost?
BPI charges USD 10 per digital outward remittance (USD 14 at branches), and other Philippine banks typically charge between USD 10 and 35. Correspondent and receiving bank charges usually add USD 15 to 30; the receiving Saudi bank may deduct its own inbound fee.
Is the Saudi riyal pegged to the dollar?
Yes. The riyal has been pegged at 3.75 SAR per USD since 1986. That means the PHP to SAR rate is simply the USD to PHP rate divided by 3.75, and every move in the peso against the dollar appears one-for-one in the peso against the riyal.
Final Thoughts
Sending money from the Philippines to Saudi Arabia in 2026 is not as convenient as the reverse corridor, but it is well covered: Western Union for speed and cash, Philippine banks for large wire transfers, and Wise where its route is available. The riyal's dollar peg means the rate you get is, in effect, a statement about the peso — and the peso is about 3% weaker against the riyal than its six-month average right now. Whether you are supporting family in the Kingdom, paying tuition, or moving savings across, the cheapest transfer is the one you send at a checked rate, through a digital channel, with the recipient's IBAN verified in advance. The difference between a careless send and a careful one on a 50,000 peso transfer is routinely 100 to 200 SAR — worth the five minutes it takes to follow the steps in this guide.
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