1 SAR #471

Front

Desert landscape with flowering plants and vegetation of the Arabian Peninsula. The scene depicts the natural flora of Saudi Arabia including indigenous flowering shrubs against a desert background with hills, representing the Kingdom's agricultural and natural heritage during the modernization period under King Faisal's reign.

Back

King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1906–1975), third King of Saudi Arabia who reigned from 1964 to 1975. He is honored on this series for modernizing the Kingdom, implementing economic reforms, expanding education and infrastructure, and playing a pivotal role in Arab politics and the oil industry. The back also features a reproduction of a commemorative coin and Arabic calligraphy with the Hijri date 1379/1379 (corresponding to 1959/1960 CE), along with decorative Islamic geometric patterns.

History

This note belongs to the King Faisal series issued by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) from 1976 to 1983, following King Faisal's assassination in 1975. The series was the second major redesign of Saudi currency and featured King Faisal's portrait on all denominations as a tribute to his leadership. The series was printed by Thomas De La Rue. This 1 Riyal note (Pick P-15) was withdrawn from circulation in 1984 when the King Fahd series was introduced. The visible serial number format and design elements are consistent with notes issued throughout the series run. The Hijri dates on the back (1379) refer to the establishment of SAMA or a commemorative coin design, not the note's issue year.