riyal

noun (1)

ri·yal | \ rē-ˈyäl

How to pronounce riyal (audio)

, -ˈyal \

variants: or less commonly rial

Definition of riyal

(Entry 1 of 2)

the basic monetary unit of Qatar and Saudi Arabia — see Money Table

riyal

noun (2)

ri·yal

less common spelling of rial

the basic monetary unit of Iran, Oman, and Yemen — see Money Table

Examples of riyal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Aramco shares currently trade at around 35.80 Saudi riyal each ($9.55), valuing the company at $1.9 trillion. — Hanna Ziady, CNN, "Saudi Arabia could sell more of its crown jewel. China is the most likely buyer," 28 Apr. 2021 Alongside the Uzbek deal, that has included large deals in Chilean peso, Dominican peso, Croatian kuna and Saudi riyal, among others. — Paul J. Davies, WSJ, "Investors Turn to Far-Flung Bonds for Juicy Returns," 22 Dec. 2020 The spread between the Saudi riyal interbank rate and the same rate for dollars has also been narrowing. — Abbas Al Lawati, Bloomberg.com, "Saudi Central Bank Hikes Bill Issuance Cap to 10 Billion Riyals," 20 Dec. 2020 Although pressure intensified earlier this year with the collapse in crude prices, 12-month dollar-forwards for the Saudi riyal have since stabilized. — Paul Abelsky, Bloomberg.com, "Goldman Says Saudi Peg ‘Here to Stay,’ Though at Cost to Economy," 21 Nov. 2020 The implied stability allowed officials to maintain the Saudi riyal’s peg to the dollar and demonstrate the kingdom’s financial strength... — Stephen Kalin, WSJ, "Saudi Foreign Reserves Drop in April on Wealth-Fund Transfer," 31 May 2020 In Kuwait, people could be fined up to 5,000 dinars ($16,200) and serve up to three months in prison while Qatar will issue fines of up to 200,000 riyals ($55,000) and a maximum penalty of three years in prison. — Chronicle Staff, SFChronicle.com, "Coronavirus news from the Bay Area: May 17," 18 May 2020 Their performances drew thousands of fans and al-Saher’s concert alone generated 1.5 million Saudi riyals ($400,000) in ticket sales, festival organizers said. — Washington Post, "Saudi festival showcases green mountains, flower crowns," 30 Aug. 2019 In Saudi Arabia, where a nationwide curfew has been enacted for three weeks starting Monday, violators will be fined 10,000 Saudi riyal ($2,777), which will be doubled for a second violation, the country's interior ministry said. — NBC News, "Photo: Auto plant workers in Wuhan return to jobs," 25 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'riyal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

6 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Riyal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riyal. Accessed 13 May. 2021.

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