My brother works in Dammam, KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and he regularly sends money for my parents’ expenses and medical needs.
I asked him how he sends money and this is how he explained it…
What’s the first step in sending money from Saudi to Philippines?
The very first thing he did when he started working in Saudi was to register and get a card from Enjaz.
Once he had the Enjaz card, he can go directly to the counter to send money.
How long does it take to wait and be accommodated in the counter?
According to him, if he goes to Enjaz in the morning, waiting time is only 5-10 minutes because there are fewer people in the morning.
If he goes there in the afternoon or after office hours, waiting time is usually longer especially during pay day.
That’s why he recommends sending money in the morning and few days before or after pay day to avoid long lines.
To whom or to which account do you deposit your remittance?
He deposits the money directly to the recipient’s bank account in the Philippines.
In his case, he deposits the money to my account since my parents don’t have their own bank account anymore, then I withdraw the money and give it to them personally.
Then he deposits the rest of his money to his savings account, which requires another remittance fee.
Why not deposit it to your account then transfer it to my account (as recipient in the Philippines) ONLINE? It’s free!
His answer was…
He forgot to enrol my account in his online account before he left for Saudi.
Lesson learned:
Make sure you enrol your online banking account and activate it, then enrol your recipient’s account and activate it as well, all while you’re still in the Philippines.
Otherwise, you will not be able to take advantage of ONLINE banking plus you will have to pay more for your remittance.
(Update: My brother said that he sometimes send money to my parents directly through Cebuana Lhuiller, especially when they’re in the province.)
How much does it cost to send money to Philippines through Enjaz?
According to my brother, the remittance fee at Enjaz is 16 Saudi Riyals or Php 200 (at SR 1 = Php 12.55) and it’s fixed for any amount.
It’s good if you send a large sum of money because the remittance fee is low, but it’s not so good if you only send a thousand pesos because that’s already 20% of your remittance.
How long does it take to receive the money in the Philippines?
Usually, it only takes 2-3 hours for the remittance to be credited to the recipient’s local bank account if the sender made the transaction within office hours.
ABOUT ENJAZ
Enjaz Banking Services is the remittance arm of Bank Albilad providing international and local money remittance services. Enjaz has emerged exceptionally amongst market leaders, positioning itself as one of the most preferred partner in remittance services across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.(Source)
Sending money with Enjaz involves 3 simple steps:
- Visit Enjaz website:
Click on Become a customer and fill in your details. Upon successful submission, you shall receive a reference number through SMS on your registered mobile number.
- Visit Enjaz Center:
Provide the reference number, valid original ID to the Center official’s and get registered.
- Send Money:
Upon successful registration, get your beneficiary details added and straight away send money.
Are you also working abroad or do you receive remittance from your loved ones abroad?
Feel free to share with us how you send or receive money. We’d love to hear your story!
Why every time I send money to Philippine there’s always gap between the receipt from enjaz remittance and the real exchange rates?I’m always checking the rates of riyal to Philippine peso and their receipt are not the same.why?
I hope you’re response as soon as possible. .
Hi Nanilen, thansk for your comment.
I’m sorry I’m not really familiar with Enjaz’ exchange rates.
You may contact Enjaz directy so they can explain to you the details of your remittance.
Thanks.
Do you have branches of Enjaz all over Philippines? My assistant is Filipino and she does not know anything about money transaction and so am I. She wants to send money to her parents and they don’t have bank account. So, I know of Enjaz cash transaction and it is our solution for now, but from where her family can receive the money? from Enjaz branch or do they have partners with different name in Philippines? any insight could be beneficial!
Yes, she can send it through Enjaz to remittance partners here in the Philippines like Cebuana Lhuiller.
That’s how my brother sends money to my parents in the province since the banks are a bit far from where they live.
Or she can ask her parents if there’s any other available remittance centers in their area where they can claim/receive the remittance.