Statutory Foundation: Islamic & Commercial Banking in Saudi WPS
Under Article 90 of the Saudi Labor Law and circulars issued jointly by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), private sector wages must be paid through electronic banking pipelines that report disbursement records to the National Information Center.
Both Riyad Bank (one of the Kingdom's foundational commercial financial institutions) and Alinma Bank (a premier Sharia-compliant corporate banking institution) maintain specialized digital integration gateways with Mudad (منصة مُدد):
Corporate ERP / SIF Generator ──> Riyad Corporate / Alinma Business Gateway ──[Batch Settlement]──> SAMA SARIE Switch ──[Sealed Record Feed]──> Mudad Compliance Ledger
SIF Formatting
Formulate SAMA-standard SIF file with bank-specific code (RIBL or ALBI) and corporate IBAN
Corporate Portal Upload
Maker uploads SIF file via Payroll & WPS services on Riyad Corporate or Alinma Business
Syntax Pre-Validation
Core banking gateway verifies IBAN checksums, row arithmetic parity, and balance availability
Token Authorization
Authorized Signatory (Checker) executes release using physical/mobile security token
Fund Execution
Bank debits corporate account; settles intra-bank accounts instantly and routes SARIE transfers
Sealed File Generation
Bank generates cryptographically signed wage acknowledgment and transmits data to SAMA/Mudad
Failure to execute payroll through these designated corporate modules leaves salary payments untracked, resulting in Mudad reporting an establishment's compliance rate as 0%, which triggers automated work permit renewal blocks on Qiwa.
Operational Pre-Requisites for Riyad Bank & Alinma Corporate WPS
Before uploading a monthly payroll file on either platform, the establishment's finance department must ensure the following five conditions are met:
Mandatory Corporate WPS Pre-Requisites
Mandatory protections enforced by MHRSD & Saudi Labor Law
Portal Comparison: Riyad Corporate vs. Alinma Business WPS Gateways
While both institutions comply with SAMA standards, their corporate interfaces feature distinct operational characteristics:
| Architectural Feature | Riyad Bank (Riyad Corporate / رياض كوربوريت) | Alinma Bank (Alinma Business / الإنماء للأعمال) |
|---|---|---|
| SAMA Bank Identifier | `RIBL` | `ALBI` |
| Corporate IBAN Prefix | SA..20... | SA..05... |
| File Extensions Supported | .sif, .csv, .txt | .sif, .csv |
| Authentication Token | Riyad Mobile Corporate Token / Physical Digipass | Alinma Token Mobile App / Hardware e-Token |
| SARIE Inter-Bank Cut-Off | 03:00 PM KSA Time (Business Days) | 03:30 PM KSA Time (Business Days) |
| Intra-Bank Processing Speed | Instantaneous (24/7/365) to Riyad accounts | Instantaneous (24/7/365) to Alinma accounts |
| Sealed File Export Name | WPS Acknowledgment File / إشعار حماية الأجور | SAMA Wage Confirmation / إشعار حماية الأجور المعتمد |
Step-by-Step UI Guide: Uploading SIF File on Riyad Corporate Banking
Follow this operational workflow to submit and authorize a payroll batch on Riyad Corporate:
Step 1: Secure Login to Riyad Corporate
https://www.riyadbank.com/corporate.Step 2: Navigate to WPS Payroll Management
Step 3: Configure Payroll Batch Metadata
SA..20000...).SALARY-MAR-2026).Step 4: Browse and Upload the SIF File
.sif file (e.g., PAYROLL_MAR_2026.sif).Step 5: System Pre-Audit Validation
Riyad Bank's gateway performs an automated syntax validation:
EDR lines).Step 6: Submit to Authorization Queue (Maker Action)
Click Submit for Authorization (إرسال للاعتماد). The system assigns a unique Riyad Batch Reference Number (رقم مرجع الدفعة).
Step 7: Authorize the Batch (Checker Action)
Step-by-Step UI Guide: Uploading SIF File on Alinma Business
Follow this sequence to upload and authorize a payroll batch on Alinma Business:
Step 1: Secure Login to Alinma Business
https://business.alinma.com.Step 2: Navigate to Salary Payments
Step 3: Set Batch Parameters
SA..05000...).ALINMA-MAR-2026).Step 4: Upload and Audit File
.sif file.Step 5: Submit for Signatory Approval (Maker Action)
Click Submit for Approval (إرسال للاعتماد). The batch moves into the corporate approval workflow.
Step 6: Execute Signatory Release (Checker Action)
Technical SIF File Specifications for Both Banks
To guarantee that your payroll batch passes the gateway on the first attempt, your SIF file must conform to these exact specifications:
1. Header Record (SCR) Layout: Riyad Bank vs. Alinma Bank
Riyad Bank SIF Header Example:
SCR,7001234567,RIBL,2026-03-03,1100,SA2020000123456789012345,6,38000.00,SAR,SAL-MAR-2026RIBL.SA20 (Riyad Bank corporate checking account).Alinma Bank SIF Header Example:
SCR,7001234567,ALBI,2026-03-03,1100,SA0500000123456789012345,6,38000.00,SAR,SAL-MAR-2026ALBI.SA05 (Alinma Bank corporate checking account).2. Employee Detail Record (EDR) Architecture
Every subsequent row represents an employee and follows the 12-column SAMA specification:
EDR,2,2432109876,Zubair Al-Farooq,RIBL,SA2020000456123456789012,6000.00,1500.00,500.00,500.00,7500.00,30
EDR,2,2487654321,Kamal Abdulshakoor,ALBI,SA0500000789123456789034,5000.00,1250.00,250.00,350.00,6150.00,30
EDR,1,1045678901,Nawaf Al-Mutairi,NCBK,SA1210000222333444555666,7500.00,1875.00,1000.00,750.00,9625.00,30RIBL), or from an Alinma account to an Alinma IBAN (ALBI), funds credit immediately 24/7/365.NCBK or Al Rajhi RJHI) executes via SARIE during business operating windows.What is a "Sealed Payroll File" and How to Download It?
A Sealed Payroll File (ملف الرواتب المعتمد / المشفر) is the formal digital output generated by the corporate banking platform after a payroll batch has been fully executed.
Why the Sealed File is Vital for Compliance:
Downloading the Sealed File from Riyad Corporate:
.sif or .ack format).Downloading the Sealed File from Alinma Business:
Mudad Synchronization & Compliance Verification
Once Riyad Bank or Alinma Bank executes a payroll batch, the compliance process transitions to Mudad:
How the Bank Feed Synchronizes with Mudad:
Verifying Compliance on Mudad:
mudad.com.sa) via Absher Business / Nafath.Troubleshooting 7 Common Errors on Riyad Bank & Alinma Gateways
When a payroll batch fails validation on either portal, consult this diagnostic reference:
| Error String / Code | System Root Cause | Immediate Rectification Protocol |
|---|---|---|
| `Bank Code Mismatch (Header H3)` | Header specifies wrong bank code (e.g., RJHI entered on Riyad Corporate, or RIBL entered on Alinma). | Open file in text editor. Ensure Field H3 is RIBL for Riyad Bank or ALBI for Alinma Bank. |
| `Payer IBAN Mismatch (Header H6)` | Header corporate IBAN does not match the company checking account selected on the portal interface. | Correct Field H6 to match the exact 24-character corporate checking IBAN (SA..20... or SA..05...). |
| `Arithmetic Parity Mismatch (Row X)` | Column K does not equal Basic + Housing + Other − Deductions due to floating-point rounding errors. | In Excel, apply =ROUND((G+H+I)-J, 2) to Column K for all rows. Ensure two decimal places throughout. |
| `Insufficient Cleared Liquidity` | Available balance is less than total net wages plus transaction charges. | Transfer additional operational capital into the debit account and re-submit the batch. |
| `Authorization Window Expired` | Maker submitted the batch, but Checker failed to authorize it before the platform cut-off. | The expired batch is automatically cancelled. The Maker must re-upload the SIF file as a fresh batch. |
| `Invalid Beneficiary Account Status` | An employee's bank account is closed, dormant, or restricted under SAMA KYC rules. | Review the bank rejection report to identify the affected row. Request an active IBAN letter from the worker. |
| `Encoding Garble (BOM / ANSI Error)` | File saved as UTF-8 with BOM or ANSI, causing system parsing failure on Arabic names. | Re-save the file in Notepad or Excel as UTF-8 without BOM. |
Real-World Corporate Case Study: Medina Hospitality Group
To see how bank-specific configurations impact real-world compliance, examine this verified case:
The group maintains operational accounts at both Alinma Bank (for administrative and management payroll) and Riyad Bank* (for hotel operational staff).
* On February 27th, the payroll accountant prepared two SIF files: 35 employees on Alinma and 75 employees on Riyad Bank.
1. Alinma Failure: The Alinma file failed validation instantly with Parsing Error in Line 14. An expatriate French pastry chef's name had been entered with an unescaped comma (Dubois, Jean-Pierre), splitting the line into 13 columns.
2. Riyad Bank Failure: The Riyad Bank file was uploaded by the Maker at 01:30 PM. However, the Chief Financial Officer (Checker) was traveling and discovered that his physical hardware token battery had died, leaving him unable to authorize the batch.
3. By 11:59 PM, Riyad Bank's system cancelled the unapproved batch under the 24-hour expiration policy.
4. With both batches stalled, month-end passed without salary disbursements, triggering an automated non-compliance warning on Mudad.
Alinma:* The accountant stripped the comma from the chef's name and re-uploaded the file to Alinma Business. The General Manager approved it via the Alinma Token mobile app in under 2 minutes.
Riyad Bank: The group visited their local Riyad Bank corporate branch and activated the Riyad Mobile Soft Token* on the CFO's smartphone, replacing the defunct physical token. The batch was re-uploaded and authorized by 10:00 AM.
Within 12 hours of settlement, both sealed wage files were ingested by Mudad, restoring the group's compliance score to 100%* and preventing any MHRSD recruitment sanctions.
Executive Pre-Flight Checklist: Riyad & Alinma Corporate WPS
Before releasing a payroll file on Riyad Corporate or Alinma Business, execute this 5-point verification routine:
Pre-Flight Corporate WPS Protocol
Mandatory protections enforced by MHRSD & Saudi Labor Law
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the official SAMA bank codes for Riyad Bank and Alinma Bank in SIF files?
The official SAMA bank code for Riyad Bank is `RIBL`, and for Alinma Bank it is `ALBI`. These codes must appear in Field H3 of the SCR header record and in Column E for employees banking with these institutions.
What is a "Sealed Payroll File" in Saudi WPS?
A sealed payroll file is the cryptographically verified and digitally signed wage disbursement ledger produced by the corporate bank after funds have settled. It confirms payment execution and is transmitted through the SAMA switch to Mudad.
What are the daily SARIE clearing cut-off times for Riyad Bank and Alinma Bank?
For same-day inter-bank payroll clearing via SARIE, the cut-off time is 03:00 PM KSA time on Riyad Corporate and 03:30 PM KSA time on Alinma Business on business days (Sunday through Thursday). Transfers within the same bank process 24/7 in real-time.
Can I upload a SIF file saved as .csv on Alinma Business and Riyad Corporate?
Yes. Both portals accept .sif and .csv files, provided the internal structure complies strictly with SAMA's comma-separated format without extra headers, spaces, or currency symbols. If an upload error occurs, simply rename the file extension to .sif.
How do I resolve an "Authorization Expired" error on these corporate banking platforms?
Corporate banking portals cancel unapproved payroll batches after a set period (typically by 11:59 PM on the submission day). If a batch expires, the Maker must upload the SIF file again as a new batch, and the Checker must authorize it promptly using their security token.
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Advocate High Court (Punjab Bar Council) and ATT GCC VAT Certified Specialist. Author of comprehensive regulatory commentaries on Saudi corporate law, ZATCA e-invoicing protocols, and Labor Reform Initiatives.