Iraq vs Saudi Arabia
Crypto regulation comparison
Iraq
Saudi Arabia
Banned
Restricted
Iraq has banned cryptocurrency dealings. The Central Bank of Iraq issued a directive in 2017 prohibiting banks, financial institutions, and exchange companies from dealing in cryptocurrency. Despite the ban, some underground and peer-to-peer crypto trading reportedly persists.
Saudi Arabia has an ambiguous but generally restrictive approach to cryptocurrency. SAMA has not licensed any crypto exchanges, and financial institutions are warned against dealing in crypto. However, crypto is not explicitly banned by law, and Saudi Arabia has participated in blockchain initiatives (Project Aber with the UAE central bank). No personal income or capital gains tax exists in Saudi Arabia.
Tax Type
Unclear
Tax Type
None
Tax Rate
N/A
Tax Rate
0%
Exchanges
No
Exchanges
No
Mining
No
Mining
Yes
Regulator
CBI (Central Bank of Iraq)
Regulator
SAMA (Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority), CMA Saudi Arabia
Stablecoin Rules
Not applicable; crypto activities prohibited
Stablecoin Rules
No regulation; crypto trading not authorized
Key Points
- CBI banned all crypto dealings by financial institutions in 2017
- Exchange companies are prohibited from handling cryptocurrency
- No regulatory framework for crypto businesses
- Underground and P2P crypto trading reportedly exists despite the ban
- The ban is motivated by AML concerns and financial stability considerations
Key Points
- SAMA has not authorized or licensed any cryptocurrency exchanges
- Financial institutions warned against crypto transactions
- Crypto not explicitly banned but not regulated; exists in a legal gray area
- No personal income or capital gains tax in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia participated in CBDC experiments (Project Aber with UAE)