Petrol stations in Saudi Arabia soon to start accepting e-payments

Petrol stations in the Kingdom will start accepting e-payments via the Saudi Payments Network (MADA) from July 17.

Ziad Al-Yousef, managing director of MADA, said it has provided 4,000 e-payment machines to petrol stations and services stores.

He added that banks are ready to provide machines upon requests from operators and that those who do not fulfill this obligation will be dealt with by inspectors from the Ministry of Commerce and Investment.

Abdulaziz Al-Barrak, deputy head of the national committee for petrol stations, said all 12,000 of them in the Kingdom will have to implement the initiative or face a fine.

Economist and financial analyst Talat Zaki Hafiz told Arab News that the initiative is in line with the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP), which is striving for a cashless society.

He said customers will be entitled to file a complaint of non-availability of service via the ministry’s various channels.