JEDDAH, 4 November 2005 — Saudis and expatriates are expected to draw nearly SR6 billion through ATMs across the Kingdom during Eid Al-Fitr holidays, bankers said.
Saudi commercial banks have set up crisis teams to solve technical problems facing ATMs during the holidays, they said.
Only a small number of banks are operating during Eid. They include branches at international airports in Jeddah, Dammam and Riyadh.
According to a report issued by Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), the Kingdom’s central bank, there were 4,360 ATMs in the country by the end of July this year. Saudi banks have issued 7.39 million ATM cards, the report said.
SAMA has upgraded the Kingdom’s ATM system to cope with the needs of the public to withdraw large amounts of money during Eid and other special occasions.