Amid Jeddah's historic celebrations of the founding day, Saeed Al-Ghamdi, a citizen over sixty years old, stands in his small corner passionately sharing 50 years of Saudi state history, particularly his collection of rare coins. He proudly displayed the first currency he acquired, the ten Saudi riyals (Hajj Receipt), equivalent to 10 silver riyals.
The lens of the Saudi Press Agency captured the influx of visitors to the historic area's coin corner, eager to learn about the history of currencies and their various versions, both paper and metal.
Al-Ghamdi explained that the naming of the currency as "Hajj Receipt" was aimed at relieving pilgrims during the Hajj period from the burden of carrying silver coins.
The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) issued the ten riyals' version by order of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Saud to simplify currency handling, reduce the burden on pilgrims, and facilitate buying and selling during the Hajj season.
Al-Ghamdi's collection includes Saudi banknotes from 1372 AH to 1402 AH, spanning the eras of the kings of the Kingdom. This collection begins with coins from the reign of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Saud and continues through the reigns of his sons, Kings Saud, Faisal, and Khalid.
