If you are a compliance officer or risk manager at a Saudi financial institution, this playbook was built for you.
Operating in the Gulf banking sector means navigating a dual mandate: meeting the rigorous expectations of SAMA's Anti-Money Laundering Standards while aligning with international frameworks like the FFIEC BSA/AML Examination Manual. You are under increasing pressure to demonstrate robust fraud and financial crime controls, especially as digital banking channels expand and third-party fintech partnerships grow. Regulatory scrutiny is no longer periodic, it is continuous, and the cost of noncompliance is measured not just in fines but in reputational damage and operational disruption. This playbook was designed specifically for professionals like you who must build, maintain, and defend a credible, auditable compliance program in a complex, evolving environment.
Engaging external consultants from major global firms to develop a comparable implementation framework typically costs between EUR 80,000 and EUR 250,000. Alternatively, dedicating an internal team of 3 to 5 full-time compliance and risk specialists for 4 to 6 months to build this from scratch would consume hundreds of hours of scarce resources. This comprehensive implementation playbook delivers the same depth and structure at a fraction of the cost, just $395.
What you get
| Phase | File Type | Description | Count |
| Assessment | Domain Assessment Workbook | 30-question evaluation covering governance, risk identification, controls, monitoring, reporting, training, and third-party management | 7 |
| Evidence Collection | Evidence Runbook | Step-by-step guide to gathering and organizing documentation required for internal audits and regulatory reviews | 1 |
| Audit Preparation | Audit Prep Playbook | Checklist-driven process for preparing for SAMA examinations and internal audits, including mock review templates | 1 |
| Implementation | RACI Matrix Template | Role-based responsibility assignment chart for compliance activities across departments | 1 |
| Implementation | Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) | Hierarchical task list for rolling out BSA/AML controls across business units and IT systems | 1 |
| Cross-Reference | Cross-Framework Mapping Matrix | Detailed alignment between FFIEC, SAMA, ISO 37001, and NIST CSF control objectives | 1 |
| Specialized Control | ICT Third-Party Risk Assessment Workbook | 30-question assessment tool for evaluating fintech and IT service providers against regulatory and cybersecurity standards | 1 |
| Supplemental | Implementation Guide | Narrative walkthrough of how to use all components in sequence, with Saudi banking examples | 1 |
| Total Files Included | 64 | ||
Domain assessments
Each of the seven domain assessments contains 30 targeted questions and scoring logic to evaluate current-state maturity. Domains include:
- Corporate Governance and Oversight: Evaluates board and senior management involvement in AML/CFT programs, including policy approval and resource allocation.
- Customer Risk Profiling: Assesses the accuracy and consistency of customer due diligence, risk rating models, and ongoing monitoring triggers.
- Transaction Monitoring and Suspicious Activity Detection: Reviews the effectiveness of detection scenarios, alert handling, and SAR/STR filing processes.
- Third-Party and Fintech Risk Management: Focuses on vendor onboarding, contractual safeguards, and ongoing oversight of external partners, especially digital service providers.
- Internal Audit and Independent Testing: Measures the independence, frequency, and depth of audit reviews and follow-up on findings.
- Training and Awareness Programs: Tests the relevance, frequency, and role-specific customization of staff training on fraud and AML obligations.
- Recordkeeping and Evidence Retention: Validates data storage practices, retrieval capabilities, and compliance with SAMA's record retention requirements.
What this saves you
| Activity | Traditional Approach | With This Playbook |
| Develop assessment criteria | 40, 60 hours of internal legal and compliance staff time | Use pre-built 30-question domain assessments (7 total) |
| Map FFIEC to SAMA requirements | Manual cross-referencing across 200+ pages of guidance | Use included cross-framework mapping matrix (FFIEC, SAMA, ISO 37001, NIST) |
| Prepare for regulatory examination | Ad hoc document collection, often reactive and incomplete | Follow evidence runbook and audit prep checklist |
| Assign implementation responsibilities | Email chains and meetings to clarify roles | Deploy RACI and WBS templates tailored to Gulf banking operations |
| Evaluate fintech partners | Custom questionnaires developed per vendor | Apply standardized 30-question ICT third-party risk assessment |
Who this is for
- Compliance officers in Saudi banks responsible for AML/CFT program implementation
- Risk managers overseeing fraud detection and financial crime controls in Gulf financial institutions
- Internal auditors preparing for SAMA examinations or independent reviews
- Legal and governance teams aligning internal policies with international standards
- IT risk specialists managing cybersecurity and third-party technology providers
- Chief Compliance Officers seeking to standardize control frameworks across branches or subsidiaries
- Consultants supporting Middle Eastern banks with regulatory readiness projects
Cross-framework mappings
This playbook includes a detailed mapping matrix that aligns control objectives across the following frameworks:
- FFIEC BSA/AML Examination Manual (2023 edition)
- SAMA Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Standards (latest version)
- ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) Version 1.1
What is NOT in this product
- This is not a software tool or automated compliance platform, files are provided in editable PDF and Microsoft Word formats
- No real-time regulatory updates are included; users are responsible for tracking changes to SAMA or FFIEC guidance
- The playbook does not include legal advice or substitute for counsel on specific regulatory interpretations
- It does not contain pre-filled responses or completed templates, customization to your institution is required
- No integration with core banking systems, transaction monitoring platforms, or case management tools
- Training delivery or workshops are not part of this offering
- The product does not cover sanctions screening list management or PEP monitoring algorithms
Lifetime access and satisfaction guarantee
You receive lifetime access to the playbook with no subscription and no login portal. The files are yours to download and use indefinitely. If this playbook does not save your team at least 100 hours of manual compliance work, email us for a full refund. No questions, no friction.
About the seller: For over 25 years, our team has specialized in translating complex regulatory requirements into practical implementation tools. We have analyzed 692 compliance frameworks and built 819,000+ cross-framework mappings used by 40,000+ practitioners across 160 countries. Our work is grounded in operational reality, not theoretical models.
Need this for your team? We offer site licenses starting at $2,500 for up to 25 users. Reply to this page or DM Gerard directly on LinkedIn.
