Quick answer: 1,000.50 SAR in words is ألف ريال سعودي وخمسون هللة, or "one thousand Saudi riyals and fifty halalas"; on a cheque it becomes فقط ألف ريال سعودي وخمسون هللة لا غير.
How it's calculated
One Saudi riyal is 100 halalas, so an amount has at most two decimals. The riyals are written first, then و and the halalas: 1,250.50 is ألف ومائتان وخمسون ريالاً سعودياً وخمسون هللة.
The two nouns have different genders, which is where most mistakes happen. ريال is masculine and هللة is feminine, so from 3 to 10 the number takes opposite forms: ثلاثة ريالات but ثلاث هللات, ثمانية ريالات but ثماني هللات. At 11 and 12 the number agrees with the noun: أحد عشر ريالاً، إحدى عشرة هللة، اثنا عشر ريالاً، اثنتا عشرة هللة.
The adjective سعودي follows the riyal and changes with it: ريال سعودي، ريالان سعوديان، ريالات سعودية، ريالاً سعودياً. Halalas take no adjective. The full rules for every number are on the number to words page.
Writing an invoice total? Work out the 15% VAT with the Saudi VAT calculator first, then write the total here. For amounts in dirhams, use UAE dirham tafqit.
Worked examples
- 1,000.50 SAR (riyals after 1,000, halalas after 50): ألف ريال سعودي وخمسون هللة · one thousand Saudi riyals and fifty halalas
- 2.02 SAR (two is a dual for both nouns): ريالان سعوديان وهللتان · two Saudi riyals and two halalas
- 3.03 SAR (3–10: ثلاثة with riyals, ثلاث with halalas): ثلاثة ريالات سعودية وثلاث هللات · three Saudi riyals and three halalas
- 11.11 SAR (11: أحد عشر / إحدى عشرة): أحد عشر ريالاً سعودياً وإحدى عشرة هللة · eleven Saudi riyals and eleven halalas
- 200.00 SAR (cheque style, مائتا in construct): فقط مائتا ريال سعودي لا غير · Two hundred Saudi riyals only
Riyal and halala forms
The form of each noun depends on the last number before it.
| Number | Riyal (masculine) | Halala (feminine) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ريال سعودي واحد | هللة واحدة |
| 2 | ريالان سعوديان | هللتان |
| 3–10 | ثلاثة ريالات سعودية | ثلاث هللات |
| 11–99 | خمسة وعشرون ريالاً سعودياً | خمس وعشرون هللة |
| 100+ | مائة ريال سعودي | — |
Frequently asked questions
How many halalas are in a Saudi riyal?
100. That is why the amount field accepts two decimals: 0.05 SAR is five halalas, written خمس هللات.
Why is it ثلاثة ريالات but ثلاث هللات?
From 3 to 10 the number takes the opposite gender of the noun. ريال is masculine, so the number takes the feminine ending (ثلاثة); هللة is feminine, so it does not (ثلاث).
How do I write 200 riyals on a cheque?
فقط مائتا ريال سعودي لا غير. مائتان drops its ن (مائتا) because the noun follows it directly. The same happens with ألفا ريال for 2,000.
Does the new riyal symbol change tafqit?
No. The Saudi Central Bank introduced a symbol for the riyal in February 2025 for writing amounts in figures. Amounts in words are still written with the word ريال.
Should I write ريال or ريال سعودي?
Both are used. Including سعودي makes the currency unambiguous, which matters on contracts and on cheques that may be read abroad, so this tool always adds it.
Is the amount I enter sent or saved?
No. The words are generated in your browser, and nothing you type leaves your device or appears in the address bar.