Official language: Arabic
Population: 27,601,038
Currency: Riyal (SAR)

Current Exchange Rate
1 EUR = 5.5497 SAR
1 GBP = 6.1936 SAR
1 USD = 3.7485 SAR

Poker in Saudi Arabia
Poker in Saudi Arabia is not popular. In fact, very few people in the country even know how to play the game. This is because playing poker in Saudi Arabia is illegal, even if it is just played for fun. This rule comes from Islamic law, which says that all forms of gambling are strictly banned. Because the official religion of Saudi Arabia is Islam, the rule is adhered to. The ban is not just on poker - all forms of gambling in Saudi Arabia are considered illegal. As a result, the country does not have any poker halls or casinos where games might be held, and we will never see an international poker tour pass through Saudi Arabia. This is unlikely to change in the future, because many Saudis support the gambling ban.

Online Poker in Saudi Arabia
Saudis who want to play poker can only play it online. Playing online poker in Saudi Arabia can be difficult, because there are no internet poker websites in the country. While there are a lot of foreign gambling sites that offer poker games, the Saudi government has put a filter in place to try and prevent players from accessing these poker rooms from Saudi Arabia. The filters, however, are not perfect, and Saudis who want to play online poker usually find sites that allow them to sign up and enjoy real-money games and tournaments. These foreign poker sites that slip through the internet filters are the best and only way to play online poker in Saudi Arabia.