Saudi Arabia has become the first Arab country to use plastic banknotes.
The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency announced starting now, the five-Riyal note will be made of polymer plastic. The design and colour are similar to a regular paper note, which was previously made of cotton.
At first, you will be able to use the new note alongside the old one. However, at some point the Monetary Agency will slowly phase out the old ones.
Why did Saudi Arabia go with plastic money?
There are a few good reasons to go from paper to plastic. For one, polymer banknotes last 2.5 times longer than paper money, and are incredibly difficult to forge.
The Saudi Monetary Agency has said that the five Riyal note has been printed to the highest standards, including ‘high-quality security’ stamps and markings.
Another positive to plastic bank notes that might be of particular use in The Kingdom is the fact that they can withstand extreme temperatures. While Saudi Arabia can sometimes up to the high 40-degree centigrade mark (fun fact: the hottest day ever recorded in The Kingdom was recorded at 52-degrees C in Jeddah), polymer bank notes can survive heat up to the 140-degree mark.
Oh, and plastic bank notes are far easier to clean. Which given the current pandemic-ridden world we live in, is a big plus.
In other news, Comedian Vir Das is coming to the UAE as part of the Dubai Comedy Festival, where he will debut elements from his new standup ‘See You Outside Tour’.
The star will take to the stage on October 22nd. The Dubai Comedy Festival will run from October 21 to 24.
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