KSA Payment Initiation Services: What To Expect

The Next Phase of KSA Open Banking

Under the leadership of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to advance its Open Banking Framework as a core component of Vision 2030’s digital transformation agenda.

Following the rollout of Account Information Services (AIS), the market is entering its next critical evolution: Payment Initiation Services (PIS). By allowing licensed third parties to initiate payments directly from customer bank accounts via secure APIs, PIS unlocks seamless Account-to-Account (A2A) payments as a direct alternative to cards, creates new fintech-led payment journeys, and drives market innovation.

For financial institutions across KSA, this transition presents a dual reality: a mandatory regulatory deadline and a major strategic opportunity to capture early transaction volumes.

Yet, many institutions are treating PIS purely as an expensive compliance exercise rather than an engine for market leadership. Our latest whitepaper bridges that gap.

What the Whitepaper Covers

Building PIS capability requires banks to deliver a robust technical stack spanning API design, FAPI security, OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect, mutual TLS, Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), and complex core payment processing integrations (such as SARIE).

This whitepaper breaks down the exact practical path KSA banks can take to move from mandate to live rails—safely, quickly, and at scale.

Inside the whitepaper, you’ll learn:

• The Full Regulatory Requirements: An illustrative breakdown of the technical, security, consent, and infrastructure requirements SAMA expects from banks.
• Global Benchmarks & Proof Points: Hard data and growth metrics from lead markets—including the UK’s 53% YoY PIS growth, Brazil’s near fivefold surge in Open Finance payment volumes, and the UAE’s early-stage rollout—showing why early adopters capture a disproportionate market share.
• The Out-of-the-Box Fast Track: How banks can achieve full PIS readiness in 8–10 weeks instead of the traditional 12–18 month internal build, avoiding costly rip-and-replace core system updates.
• Strategic Ecosystem Partnerships: How Tarabut, powered by Ozone API’s battle-tested infrastructure, provides an established regional path to compliance, speed, and market dominance.

Moving From Compliance to Competition

The data from global markets tells a clear story: when PIS moves live, transaction volume compounds rapidly. Banks that deploy early capture early fintech partnerships and transaction flows. Institutions that delay end up spending the same budget catching up rather than leading.

SAMA has set the clock. The only question left for KSA banks is whether to meet the deadline through an expensive, drawn-out internal build, or accelerate your timeline with proven out-of-the-box infrastructure.

Ready to prepare your bank’s systems, timeline, and budget for PIS?

Download the full whitepaper below to get actionable insights on meeting SAMA’s PIS standards and securing your position in KSA’s evolving payment ecosystem.