General Rules for Participation in Events

Circular
Respected Ladies and Gentlemen,
Greetings,

Subject: Update of the General Rules for Hosting and Sponsoring Events

Based on the authorities granted to the Saudi Central Bank by the Royal Decree issued under System No. 36/M dated 11/04/1442H, and in addition to the related regulations and systems, and pursuant to Circular No. 472033844 dated 03/06/1447H, the following is communicated:

The Rules are updated with provisions that expand the scope of participation by financial institutions in events, aiming to regulate the presence of financial institutions through temporary booths in events, and to prohibit marketing and solicitation activities. These Rules apply to all licensed financial institutions supervised by the Saudi Central Bank.

The Rules take effect from the date of the notice on the Bank's electronic website, for your information and compliance.

Best regards,

Ayed Al-Yazidi
Deputy Governor for Supervision

Distribution Scope:
All financial institutions supervised by the Saudi Central Bank.

Public - General
General Rules for Participation in Events
First Edition
Safar 1448H – July 2026

2 Public - General
Table of Contents
Page Section
3 Chapter One: General Provisions and Definitions 4 Chapter Two: Governance, Internal Policies, and Procedures 4 Chapter Three: Professional and Behavioral Obligations 5 Chapter Four: Risk Management Related to Events and Obligations 6 Chapter Five: Final Provisions

3 Public - General
Chapter One
General Provisions and Definitions

Article (1)
Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms and expressions used in these Rules have the meanings assigned to them as follows:

Term	Definition
The Central Bank	The Saudi Central Bank.
Financial Institution	A financial institution subject to the supervision and oversight of the Central Bank.
The Rules	The General Rules for Participation in Events.
Events	Conferences, seminars, forums, exhibitions, and other similar activities.
Sponsorship	The provision of financial, logistical, or moral support by a financial institution for an event held within or outside the Kingdom, whether directly or indirectly, or through a third party.
Participation in Events	Any form of participation by a financial institution in events, whether through presence, sponsorship, or support, whether inside or outside the Kingdom, or through a temporary booth.
Temporary Booth	A designated space by a financial institution for presence in an event.
Professional Conduct	The exercise of duties with integrity, objectivity, and independence, free from bias, prejudice, or conflict of interest, within the limits of authorized powers, and in pursuit of the institution's objectives, avoiding harm to the public interest, violating laws and regulations, or pursuing personal interests.

Article (2)
The financial institution must establish minimum requirements for participation in events; it must enhance governance practices, professional conduct, and minimize reputational risks.

Article (3)
These Rules apply to any financial institution participating in any event for any purpose.

4 Public - General
Chapter Two
Governance, Internal Policies, and Procedures

Article (4)
The financial institution must prepare a policy for participation in events, subject to the approval of the Board of Management, which must include, at a minimum, considering the nature of participation in the event, mechanisms for compliance with stipulations, conditions, and restrictions stipulated in laws, regulations, and appendices, and the related instructions, and:

• a. Organizational units and their responsibilities.
• b. Criteria for selecting events.
• c. Criteria for selecting participants, sponsors, and speakers.
• d. Mechanism for assessing and managing risks.
• e. Mechanism for obtaining necessary approvals and permits.

Article (5)
The financial institution must document participation in events in a specific file, submit an annual report on participations to the Board of Management, and maintain a copy of the file with the financial institution.

Chapter Three
Professional and Behavioral Obligations

Article (6)
The financial institution must exercise due diligence in selecting participants in events, ensuring the suitability of their skills, expertise, and experience, and must verify compliance with the following commitments:

• a. Professional conduct.
• b. Maintaining the confidentiality of information.
• c. Not disclosing or revealing information that may harm the interests of the Kingdom or the financial institution.
• d. Not engaging in topics with a political nature, sensitive subjects, or matters that may harm the reputation of the financial institution, the public, or other entities, financially or otherwise.
• e. Maintaining a neutral position that may entail moral and material commitments, and referring such positions to the relevant management of the financial institution for determination, unless the participant has explicit authorization to commit on behalf of the institution.

5 Public - General
Chapter Four
Risk Management Related to Events and Obligations

Article (7)
The financial institution must conduct a prior assessment of potential risks associated with participation in events, take necessary measures to avoid them, and document the assessment along with the measures taken, including the event file.

Article (8)
The financial institution must exercise due diligence, according to the nature of participation in the event, in selecting the content and topics of the event, verifying compliance with the provisions of related laws, regulations, and appendices, and verifying the relevance and appropriateness of the relationship with the institution's strategic objectives and mission.

Article (9)
The financial institution must exercise due diligence, according to the nature of participation in the event, in selecting participants and speakers, verifying the absence of previous observations regarding these participants and speakers, and ensuring that participants and speakers have sufficient expertise and knowledge compatible with the nature of the event and the laws and regulations in effect in the Kingdom.

Article (10)
The financial institution must, according to the nature of participation in the event, adopt topics and select speakers, considering the nature of the topics and the level of the speaker, such that the topics are approved by the senior management and the authority matrix reflects the impact of the topics.

Article (11)
The financial institution must, according to the nature of participation in the event, refrain from:

• a. Allowing the event to proceed in a manner that offends national, religious, tribal, sectarian, or political sentiments, or policies that undermine the public order of the State.

Article (12)
The financial institution must refrain from presenting unverified and unauthenticated statistics, information, and data regarding the event.

Article (13)
In accordance with the instructions communicated to banks by the Central Bank pursuant to Circular No. 43089486 dated 23/10/1443H, regarding the requirement to obtain prior approval from the Central Bank, banks and financial institutions are permitted to participate in events through temporary booths, subject to the following conditions:

• a. Participation is limited to informational, educational, and marketing activities, in accordance with the specified requirements for the financial institution in the related instructions.
• b. Participation is limited to the duration of the event, and in no case exceeds 30 days.
• c. Participation is limited to events held within the Kingdom.
• d. Communications are directed to the authorized channels for the financial institution's services and products.

Chapter Five
Final Provisions

Article (14)
The provisions of these Rules do not contravene the provisions stipulated in laws, regulations, and the related instructions, nor the instructions issued by the Central Bank.

Article (15)
These Rules take effect from the date of the notice on the Bank's electronic website.