RIYADH, 19 March 2003 — The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) will issue a new SR500 note on March 24 with added security features, Arab News has learned.
A SAMA spokesman told Arab News that the Council of Ministers has endorsed a SAMA proposal to enhance the security features to protect the currency against forgery.
The source said the note will have five new safeguards against counterfeiting. They include a decorative layer containing the Kingdom’s emblem and the currency value in a multi-dimensional color pattern instead of the silver layer in the existing SR500 note.
He explained that the emblem and the value would appear in different colors when viewed from different angles.
Another feature is a pattern printed in special ink whose color changes gradually from green to blue when the note is inclined. The third feature is that it will have a four millimeter-wide silver thread interrupted by the name of the issuing agency (SAMA) in Arabic besides the value of the bill. The thread and the writing will be visible when seen against light, the spokesperson said. The currency value will also appear as a watermark area and will be visible when placed against light.
Another unique feature is the decorative pattern and the value of the bill in embossed printing. This will enable the blind and those with weak eyesight to know its value by touching it.
The SAMA spokesperson observed that other features of the existing note, like the picture of King Abdul Aziz in watermark, will be retained.
