Contact Us
PCI DSS CERTIFICATION
IN SAUDI ARABIA
For Faster, Transparent and Cost Effective
Certification Process
P.O. Box: 38503, Office No:01, First Floor,
Dabbab Street Riyadh, 11355,
Kingdome of Saudi Arabia
Call us
+91 7259945454
+91 8792302559
Email us
info@univateglobal.com
PCI DSS Certification in Saudi Arabia
A faster, transparent and cost effective route to validated payment security. Univate Global guides organisations across the Kingdom from cardholder data scoping through remediation to a Report on Compliance or Self-Assessment Questionnaire.
Dabbab Street, Riyadh 11355,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
PCI DSS Certification: What Is It?
PCI DSS, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, is a global security standard for any organisation that stores, processes or transmits cardholder data. It is maintained by the PCI Security Standards Council, an independent body founded in 2006 by American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard and Visa.
Achieving compliance means an organisation has validated its people, processes and technology against the standard's controls for protecting payment card data.
Free ConsultationWhy PCI DSS Matters in Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, PCI DSS matters to banks, fintechs, payment service providers, retailers and any business that accepts card payments. The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) expects institutions handling card data to align with PCI DSS, and acquiring banks and card schemes require merchants and service providers to demonstrate compliance before they process transactions.
Meeting the standard reduces the risk of card data breaches, avoids card scheme penalties, and signals to customers that their payment details are handled responsibly. Validating PCI DSS compliance gives businesses a structured way to protect the credit and debit card data they handle. The standard restricts access to cardholder data to authorised roles, enforces encryption, and requires ongoing monitoring, so that card transactions take place in a controlled and auditable environment across the Kingdom.
Who Needs PCI DSS Compliance in Saudi Arabia?
PCI DSS applies far more broadly than most organisations expect. If cardholder data touches your systems, people or processes, you are in scope.
| Business Type | Why PCI DSS Applies |
|---|---|
| Banks and acquiring institutions | Core participants in the payment chain, operating under Saudi Central Bank expectations |
| Fintechs and payment service providers | Handling card data on behalf of merchants brings the highest validation requirements |
| E-commerce and online retail | Card payments accepted through websites and apps place the checkout environment directly in scope |
| Retail, hospitality and restaurant chains | Point of sale terminals across multiple branches expand the cardholder data environment |
| Telecom and utility billing operations | High volume recurring card payments create sustained exposure |
| Travel, airlines and booking platforms | Large transaction volumes combined with international operations raise validation requirements |
| Contact centres taking payments by phone | Voice channels, call recording and agent desktops all create cardholder data exposure |
| Cloud and hosting service providers | Providers whose infrastructure supports client card environments are treated as service providers |
If you are unsure whether your organisation is in scope, or how far that scope extends, a short assessment usually settles it. Reducing scope is often the single most effective way to reduce both effort and cost.
PCI DSS Compliance Levels
Merchant validation requirements depend on annual card transaction volume. The level assigned to your business determines how compliance must be proven each year.
For merchants processing more than six million card transactions a year, or any entity that has suffered a breach. It requires an annual on site assessment by a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) resulting in a Report on Compliance (ROC).
For merchants processing one to six million transactions a year. Validation is usually through a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) supported by an Attestation of Compliance.
For merchants handling between 20,000 and one million e-commerce transactions a year, validated through the relevant Self-Assessment Questionnaire.
For merchants processing fewer than 20,000 e-commerce transactions, or up to one million transactions overall, again validated through a Self-Assessment Questionnaire. Organisations with external facing systems also complete quarterly scans by an Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV).
Service providers follow a separate two level structure based on the transaction volume they process on behalf of clients. Our guide to PCI DSS compliance levels covers both structures. Note that card schemes apply their own criteria, so confirm your assigned level with your acquiring bank before scoping an assessment.
How a Saudi Business Validates PCI DSS Compliance
How you prove compliance depends on your level, your role in the payment chain and what your acquiring bank requires.
| Route | What It Involves | Typically Used By |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) | A self completed questionnaire matched to how your business accepts payments, submitted with an Attestation of Compliance | Lower level merchants with simpler payment environments |
| Report on Compliance (ROC) | A full on site assessment documented and signed by a Qualified Security Assessor | Level 1 merchants, banks and larger service providers |
| ASV scanning | Quarterly external vulnerability scans performed by an Approved Scanning Vendor against internet facing systems | Any organisation with external facing cardholder data systems |
| Attestation of Compliance (AOC) | The signed summary document shared with acquiring banks, card schemes and clients as proof of validation | All validated organisations |
Choosing the correct SAQ type is a common early mistake. Selecting the wrong questionnaire can either understate your obligations or force unnecessary work, so it is worth confirming before you start filling anything in.
Get your free consultation today.
Experience best in class support from Univate Global's PCI DSS consultants, from gap analysis to final assessment and validated compliance.
Requirements for PCI DSS Compliance in Saudi Arabia
PCI DSS is structured as 12 requirements grouped under six control objectives. Together they define how cardholder data must be protected across networks, systems, people and processes.
Build and maintain a secure network and systems
- 1Install and maintain network security controls such as firewalls, and avoid vendor supplied default passwords and settings.
- 2Apply secure configurations to all system components, removing unnecessary services and accounts.
Protect account data
- 3Encrypt stored account data, with retention limits, masking and truncation applied where possible.
- 4Protect cardholder data as it is transmitted across open, public networks.
Maintain a vulnerability management programme
- 5Protect systems against malware and keep anti-malware protection current.
- 6Develop and maintain secure systems and software, with timely patching and secure development practices.
Implement strong access control measures
- 7Restrict access to cardholder data to a need to know basis.
- 8Identify users and authenticate access to system components, including multi-factor authentication where required.
- 9Restrict physical access to cardholder data, covering facilities, media and devices.
Regularly monitor and test networks
- 10Log and monitor all access to system components and cardholder data, and review logs regularly.
- 11Test security systems and processes regularly, including vulnerability scanning and penetration testing.
Maintain an information security policy
- 12Support information security across the organisation with clear policies, defined responsibilities and third party management.
Requirement 11 is where many Saudi organisations need external support, since it calls for regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing across the cardholder data environment. Our VAPT services in Saudi Arabia are frequently delivered alongside PCI DSS engagements for exactly this reason.
What Changed in PCI DSS v4.0.1
Organisations that last validated under v3.2.1 will find meaningful differences. The v4 family shifted the standard toward continuous security rather than an annual point in time exercise.
Alongside the traditional defined approach, organisations with mature security programmes can meet a requirement's objective through alternative controls, provided the design is documented and tested by an assessor.
MFA expectations now extend to all access into the cardholder data environment, not only remote and administrative access.
Password length and complexity expectations were raised, with clearer rules on how credentials are managed and rotated.
Several requirements now allow frequency to be set by a documented risk analysis, which makes that analysis itself an assessment artefact.
New requirements address payment page scripts and change detection, aimed at the skimming attacks that have targeted online checkout pages.
Each requirement now expects documented and assigned ownership, which closes a common gap where controls existed but nobody owned them.
PCI DSS Certification Process in Saudi Arabia
A structured engagement moves from understanding your environment through to validated compliance and ongoing maintenance.
Scoping and data flow mapping. Identify every place cardholder data is stored, processed or transmitted, including systems that can affect its security.
Level and validation route confirmation. Confirm your merchant or service provider level with your acquirer and agree whether SAQ or ROC applies.
Gap assessment. Assess current controls against the 12 requirements and produce a prioritised remediation plan.
Scope reduction. Where possible, use segmentation, tokenisation or redirect based payment flows to shrink the cardholder data environment before remediation begins.
Remediation. Implement the technical and process controls needed, from network segmentation and encryption through to logging, access control and policy.
Testing. Run vulnerability scans and penetration testing, and resolve findings ahead of assessment.
Evidence preparation. Assemble policies, configuration records, logs, scan reports and training records into an assessment ready evidence set.
Assessment and validation. Complete the SAQ, or work through on site assessment with a QSA, and obtain the Attestation of Compliance.
Ongoing compliance. Maintain quarterly scans, periodic testing and annual revalidation so compliance holds between assessments.
How Long Does PCI DSS Compliance Take in Saudi Arabia?
Timelines depend far more on your starting position than on the size of the business. An organisation with segmentation and logging already in place moves quickly. One that has never mapped its card data flows will spend most of the project in remediation.
| Stage | What Happens | Typical Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and data flow mapping | Identify the cardholder data environment and connected systems | 1 to 3 weeks |
| Gap assessment | Assess current state against all 12 requirements | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Remediation | Close technical and process gaps identified | 1 to 6 months depending on findings |
| Scanning and penetration testing | ASV scans and testing, plus retesting after fixes | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Assessment and validation | SAQ completion or QSA on site assessment and AOC issuance | 2 to 8 weeks depending on route |
Compliance is then maintained continuously, with quarterly scanning and annual revalidation. Organisations that treat it as a yearly project rather than an ongoing programme usually repeat the same remediation effort every cycle.
PCI DSS Certification Cost in Riyadh and Saudi Arabia
In Riyadh, the cost of PCI DSS compliance depends on the size and complexity of the business, the number of card transactions, and the scope of the cardholder data environment. A smaller merchant validating through a Self-Assessment Questionnaire will spend far less than a bank or large processor that needs a Level 1 assessment by a Qualified Security Assessor.
Typical cost drivers include gap assessment, remediation of controls, the formal assessment or SAQ, quarterly vulnerability scans, and ongoing maintenance.
- Scope size, meaning the number of systems, locations and payment channels in the cardholder data environment
- Validation route, since a QSA led on site assessment costs considerably more than a self-assessment
- Current control maturity, and how much remediation work stands between you and assessment
- Number of payment channels, including e-commerce, point of sale and telephone based payments
- Penetration testing and quarterly ASV scanning fees
- Whether tokenisation or a redirect based payment flow can reduce scope before spending begins
- Annual revalidation, which recurs every year rather than being a one time cost
It is worth weighing these costs against the alternative. Card scheme penalties, remediation after a breach, and lost customer confidence usually far exceed the investment in becoming compliant. Reducing scope, for example by using validated payment providers and tokenisation, is one of the most effective ways to keep the cost of PCI DSS compliance in Riyadh under control. Our broader guide to PCI DSS certification cost covers the same drivers in more detail.
Critical Benefits of PCI DSS Certification for Business in Saudi Arabia
- Stronger data security: layered controls protect stored, processed and transmitted cardholder data
- Increased customer trust: demonstrated compliance reassures customers and partners that payment data is protected
- Alignment with SAMA expectations: supports the payment security controls that Saudi regulators and acquiring banks look for
- Fewer breaches and penalties: reduces exposure to costly incidents and card scheme fines
- Improved reputation: reinforces a credible commitment to security across the business
- Global recognition: the standard is accepted worldwide, which helps with cross border and enterprise relationships
- Faster onboarding: an Attestation of Compliance answers much of a partner's due diligence before it is requested
PCI DSS and the Saudi Regulatory Landscape
For Saudi Arabian businesses, PCI DSS compliance is closely tied to the ability to operate in the payments ecosystem. SAMA expects banks, fintechs and payment service providers that handle card data to align with the standard, and acquiring banks pass that expectation on to merchants. Compliance therefore supports both regulatory alignment and commercial access to card processing.
| PCI DSS | SAMA Cyber Security Framework | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets it | The PCI Security Standards Council, a global industry body | The Saudi Central Bank, as sector regulator |
| Scope | Payment card data specifically, wherever it is handled | Cybersecurity across a regulated financial institution as a whole |
| Who it applies to | Any organisation storing, processing or transmitting cardholder data | Institutions supervised by the Saudi Central Bank |
| How it is enforced | Card schemes and acquiring banks, through contractual requirements | Regulatory supervision of member organisations |
The two are complementary rather than alternatives. A regulated institution typically needs to satisfy both, and the control work overlaps considerably, so evidence gathered for one often serves the other. Organisations also processing personal data should read this alongside KSA PDPL compliance.
Beyond meeting requirements, structured PCI DSS services help organisations scope their cardholder data environment, close gaps and put durable controls in place. This is increasingly relevant as the Kingdom's banking, government and IT sectors expand digital payments under Vision 2030. Expert guidance keeps the effort focused on the controls that actually reduce risk, rather than adding cost without benefit.
Common Challenges in PCI DSS Implementation
Most delays trace back to a small number of recurring problems, all of which are avoidable with the right groundwork.
Undefined scope
Organisations often underestimate where card data flows. Legacy systems, call recordings and spreadsheets pull far more into scope than expected.
Flat network architecture
Without proper segmentation, the entire network becomes the cardholder data environment, multiplying assessment effort and cost.
Storing data that is not needed
Retaining card data with no business justification is a common finding. Removing it is usually cheaper than protecting it.
Compliance drift between cycles
Controls validated once tend to lapse. Quarterly scanning and continuous monitoring are what keep compliance real.
Third party assumptions
Using a compliant payment gateway does not automatically make you compliant. Responsibility must be documented on both sides.
Evidence gathered too late
Logs, scan reports and training records assembled at assessment time rarely cover the full period an assessor will ask about.
PCI DSS Consulting Across the Kingdom
Demand concentrates in the Kingdom's financial and commercial centres, and engagements can be delivered on site, remotely or as a hybrid.
Riyadh
Banks, payment service providers and fintechs headquartered in the capital carry the Kingdom's highest validation requirements.
Jeddah
Retail, hospitality, travel and trade businesses with high card transaction volumes across multiple locations.
Dammam, Khobar and Dhahran
Industrial, utility and services organisations in the Eastern Province handling recurring card payments.
Giga projects and new economic zones
Vision 2030 developments bring new retail, hospitality and digital payment ecosystems, with security requirements built in from the start.
To help us better address your PCI DSS requirements, tell us how you accept payments and where card data is handled.
Get in TouchUnivate Global: Trusted Partner for PCI DSS Certification in Saudi Arabia
Univate Solutions works with organisations across Saudi Arabia to plan and achieve PCI DSS compliance, from the initial gap assessment through remediation to the final Report on Compliance or Self-Assessment Questionnaire.
Our consultants help scope the cardholder data environment accurately, map controls to the standard's requirements, and coordinate with Qualified Security Assessors and Approved Scanning Vendors where needed, so businesses reach and maintain compliance with less disruption.
Our Clients
Client Testimonials
It was really a great partnership with their team.
Sultan
I had the pleasure and opportunity of working with Univate Solutions on a couple of High Maturity (ML5) CMMI appraisals and found them to be one of the best.
Amulya P
Team Univate holds many professional approaches.
Ashish Sherlekar
Common FAQs on PCI DSS Certification in Saudi Arabia
What is PCI DSS and who governs it?
PCI DSS, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, is a global security standard for any organisation that stores, processes or transmits cardholder data. It is maintained by the PCI Security Standards Council, founded in 2006 by American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard and Visa. The current version is v4.0.1, published in June 2024.
Is PCI DSS mandatory in Saudi Arabia?
PCI DSS is not a law, but in practice it is not optional. Compliance is enforced contractually by card schemes and acquiring banks, and the Saudi Central Bank expects institutions handling card data to align with the standard. Without validation, an organisation may be unable to process card transactions or may face penalties from its acquirer.
How many requirements does PCI DSS have?
There are 12 requirements, grouped under six control objectives: build and maintain a secure network and systems, protect account data, maintain a vulnerability management programme, implement strong access control measures, regularly monitor and test networks, and maintain an information security policy.
What are the PCI DSS compliance levels?
Merchant levels run from Level 1, for organisations processing more than six million card transactions a year or any entity that has suffered a breach, down to Level 4 for the smallest volumes. Level 1 requires an on site assessment by a Qualified Security Assessor resulting in a Report on Compliance, while lower levels generally validate through a Self-Assessment Questionnaire. Confirm your assigned level with your acquiring bank.
How long does PCI DSS compliance take in Saudi Arabia?
It depends on your starting position. Scoping and gap assessment usually take a few weeks. Remediation is the longest and most variable phase, ranging from a month to six months depending on findings. Assessment and validation then follow. Compliance is maintained continuously afterwards, with quarterly scans and annual revalidation.
How is PCI DSS different from the SAMA Cyber Security Framework?
PCI DSS is a global industry standard focused specifically on payment card data, enforced by card schemes and acquiring banks. The SAMA Cyber Security Framework is issued by the Saudi Central Bank and covers cybersecurity across a supervised financial institution as a whole. The two are complementary: a regulated institution typically needs both, and the control work overlaps enough that evidence gathered for one often serves the other.
How much does PCI DSS compliance cost in Riyadh?
There is no fixed price. Cost is driven by scope size, validation route, current control maturity, the number of payment channels, and scanning and penetration testing fees. A smaller merchant validating through an SAQ spends far less than a bank requiring a QSA led Report on Compliance. Reducing scope through segmentation or tokenisation before remediation begins is usually the most effective way to lower the total.
How long is PCI DSS compliance valid?
Validation is an annual cycle. Quarterly ASV scans are required throughout the year, and the Attestation of Compliance must be renewed annually. Compliance is expected to be maintained continuously, not only demonstrated at assessment time.
Does using a compliant payment gateway make my business compliant?
Not automatically. Using a compliant provider can significantly reduce your scope, particularly with a redirect or hosted payment page, but you remain responsible for your own environment and for documenting which requirements each party manages. That division of responsibility is itself an assessment item.
Do we need penetration testing for PCI DSS?
Yes. Requirement 11 calls for regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing of the cardholder data environment, including testing of segmentation controls where segmentation is used to reduce scope. Our VAPT services in Saudi Arabia are frequently delivered alongside PCI DSS engagements.
What is the difference between an SAQ and a Report on Compliance?
A Self-Assessment Questionnaire is completed by the organisation itself and matched to how it accepts payments. A Report on Compliance is produced through a full on site assessment by a Qualified Security Assessor. Both conclude with an Attestation of Compliance, but the ROC carries independent verification and is required at Level 1.
Should we pursue PCI DSS or ISO 27001 first?
They serve different purposes. PCI DSS is mandated contractually by card schemes and acquirers for organisations handling payment data, so it is usually driven by a deadline. ISO 27001 is a broader information security management system many organisations adopt alongside it. Where both apply, the control work can be planned together to avoid duplication.
If you have more questions regarding PCI DSS certification in Saudi Arabia, get in touch with our experts today or email info@univateglobal.com for more information.
Start Your PCI DSS Compliance Journey
Whether an acquiring bank has set a deadline, a partner requires an Attestation of Compliance, or you simply want to know how much of your environment is actually in scope, a short conversation is the fastest way to get clarity.
Univate Global supports organisations across Saudi Arabia through every stage of PCI DSS compliance, from scoping and gap assessment to validation and annual renewal.
Get a Free Consultation Call +91 72599 45454
Riyadh office: P.O. Box 38503, Office No. 01, First Floor, Dabbab Street, Riyadh 11355, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Phone: +91 72599 45454 / +91 87923 02559
Email: info@univateglobal.com
