How To Send Money Back Home

We know a lot of you already know how to remit money to your home country but we are quite forgetting that a lot more expats are new in Saudi Arabia and a stream of new blood is coming in almost every day. They might require assistance and information on such processes. We were surprised when one of our kabayans emailed us on how to send money to the Philippines and we all went "Oo nga naman pala!" We haven't written a how-to on this topic. So here it is! :)

First and foremost, you need to have an iqama (residential permit) to do this. It will be easier for you to sign up. Every thing in your Riyadh life becomes relatively easy when you have your iqama already. I signed up for an account in Enjaz a few months ago. It was my first time to do so.

REMITTANCE CENTERS

Enjaz is one of the popular remittance centers in Riyadh. A lot of Filipinos and other nationalities go to Enjaz and I'm not surprised when I saw branches packed to the brim during salary day. Fortunately, I am living near the Suleimania branch. It's in front of the Military Hospital and beside Blue Ribbon Bakery. I went on a Thursday morning and it was already packed with people. 

1. Fill-up a form that will ask you about your important information (name, address, birth date, etc.). Check the form if you've filled it up completely.

2. Present your iqama (residential permit) along with the form to the person behind the computer desk. He'll input your information in their system and photo copy your iqama to go along with your form.

3. Receive your Enjaz card with a smile (yes, with a smile dapat... bawal ang masungit! Hehe!). Check your card if it contains the following information: Name, CIF No., and Center No. They will all be filled by the Enjaz representative.

4. To remit money to the Philippines, just fill up a form for bank transactions. The remittance fee now is SR16. You can also send via Western Union for SR25. Their is a smaller form that only asks for the receiver's full name, country, and amount. Present the forms along with your Enjaz CIF Card and money to the window. Ladies have a separate line and window.

That's it! Easy as 1-2-3! They also keep track of who are you sending to, especially when you have a few accounts or persons in mind. It gets easier and faster when you come the next month and the next... These remittance centers offer cash payouts, credit to account on all banks, and door-to-door cash delivery.

I haven't opened an account with Telemoney but I'm guessing they have the same process as Enjaz. If you'll ask me what's better between Enjaz and Telemoney, I can't answer you. It probably depends on what's nearest to you. Haha. (That's what my father said. He has both Telemoney and Enjaz cards so...) Here's where to find branches for ENJAZ and TELEMONEY.

BANKS 

I've also used the bank for sending money to the Philippines. This comes in handy when I'm sending money to a bank account and the money is not expected asap (since when is money not wanted asap?! Hehe!). This is easy for those whose salaries go to their bank accounts immediately. Our workplace's bank is Al-Rajhi Bank so our salary gets directly routed to our Al-Rajhi Bank account during payday. 

1. Sign-up for a remittance number. I just approached one of our bank representatives and told him that I want to send money to the Philippines. He asked me for my bank account details and I handed him my current account card. He entered details on his computer system and voila! He handed me a number that I had to present to the teller.

2. Write the name and bank account details of who you're sending the money to. Make sure the details are correct and complete. Present these details and the remittance number to the teller, along with your ID. Hand in the cash or if the money is in your account, just ask the teller to deduct it from there. 

3. Sign your receipt and get the copy. Done! The money will be transferred 3-5 days after remittance. Banks also keep track of the accounts of the people you send money to so the next time you have to send again, just indicate the number of the account. Or better yet, show your old receipt.

Al-Rajhi Bank even makes it easier to send now. They have an iPhone application that has the option to send the money to my recipient with just a few push of buttons. As long as the recipient's account details are already in my account, I don't have to line up and wait in the bank!

Of course, these steps only apply if you already have an account with the bank. If you don't have one and would like to open a bank account in Riyadh... that's for another Pink Tarha entry. Hehe. 

Don't be afraid to ask your fellow kabayans in banks and remittance centers if you have more questions.