Regulation guide

SAMA Outsourcing

Operationalize the SAMA Outsourcing requirements—from regulatory obligations and evidence collection to vendor assessments, continuous monitoring, governance, and remediation workflows.

Overview

SAMA outsourcing rules govern how Saudi financial institutions outsource services while remaining accountable. The rulebook materials address outsourcing governance, material outsourcing, contracts, confidentiality, audit, regulator access, business continuity, and exit.

It applies to financial institutions and other regulated organizations in the Kingdom and requires organizations to identify, assess, govern, monitor, and manage risks introduced by third parties, outsourcers, and service providers throughout the entire relationship lifecycle.

Rather than prescribing identical controls for every relationship, the regulation emphasizes a risk-based approach, requiring organizations to apply governance, oversight, controls, monitoring, and due diligence according to the criticality and risk of each relationship.

This implementation guide explains what the regulation requires, how those requirements translate into operational controls and evidence, and how Halbarad helps organizations operationalize compliance through assessments, continuous monitoring, governance workflows, and supply chain risk intelligence.

Official Sources

Operationalization Requirements

  • Identify outsourced and material outsourced arrangements.
  • Maintain outsourcing policy, risk assessment, due diligence, and approval.
  • Review contracts for confidentiality, audit, access, SAMA access, subcontracting, monitoring,

continuity, and termination.

  • Monitor providers, incidents, issues, and remediation.

Evidence Requirements

  • Outsourcing register and materiality analysis.
  • Due diligence, approval, contract, and monitoring records.
  • Subcontractor, confidentiality, audit, continuity, and exit evidence.
  • Issues, incidents, remediation, and reporting.

Common Gaps

  • Material outsourcing decisions lack rationale.
  • SAMA access and audit evidence is not tested.
  • Provider changes do not trigger reassessment.

How Halbarad Helps

Halbarad helps maintain outsourcing registers, provider evidence, Nth-Party Discovery, monitoring, issues, approvals, and audit trail.

Disclaimer

This guide is for general information only and is not legal advice. Review the official regulation, guidance, and supervisory materials, and consult qualified counsel or compliance advisors for your organization's specific obligations.