Following up on the Saudi Central Bank Circular No. 381000058504 dated 1/6/1438 AH, in which the organizational guide for business continuity management in the banking sector was communicated, and based on the Central Bank's supervisory and regulatory role in striving to maintain the continuity of banking operations and mitigate potential disaster risks and business interruptions faced by the banking sector.

I would like to inform you that local banks and financial institutions must implement the necessary precautionary measures to ensure the continuity of branch services by finding alternative solutions and plans in the event of a power outage by the service provider – may it not occur. The Central Bank hopes that efforts will continue to ensure the continuity of banking operations by providing backup generators for branches and main operating centers in various regions of the Kingdom, based on the bank's assessment, and to ensure service delivery to customers as required. This includes verifying the operability and capacity of backup generators, conducting necessary tests and routine maintenance to ensure the backup generator is ready to operate in case of any power outage by the service provider. Additionally, coordination with the Saudi Electricity Company is essential to include the main and backup data centers and the bank's headquarters on a priority list and to explore possible options with the company to provide full support and reduce the impact of scheduled and unscheduled power outages, ensuring a swift return to operations without affecting banking services.

Please take note and act accordingly from 1/1/2022, and provide the Central Bank within three months from this date with a list of branches that will be equipped with backup generators, along with the designated timeline for this plan, ensuring it does not exceed the targeted date mentioned above.