riyal

American  

[ree-yawl, -yahl] / riˈyɔl, -ˈyɑl /

noun

1. a bronze coin and monetary unit of Qatar, equal to 100 dirhams.

2. a silver coin and monetary unit of Saudi Arabia, equal to 100 halala or 20 qurush.

3. (formerly) a coin and monetary unit of the Yemen Arab Republic, equal to 100 fils or 40 buqshas.

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riyal British  

/ rɪˈjɑːl /

noun

1. the standard monetary unit of Qatar, divided into 100 dirhams; Saudi Arabia, divided into 100 halala; and Yemen, divided into 100 fils

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Etymology

Origin of riyal

1935–40; < Arabic riyāl < Spanish real real ²

Example Sentences

The camel that produces the most milk wins 15,000 riyal.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 2, 2022

"In the last five years, we have spent a trillion riyal from reserves and we are still replenishing them," he said.

From Reuters • May 24, 2022

Saudi riyal, yuan, Turkish lira, pound, U.S. dollar, euro and Jordanian dinar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken January 6, 2020.

From Reuters • Jan. 19, 2022

He urged world leaders to put pressure on all parties to end the suffering of the Yemeni people who are seeing their currency, the riyal, devalued and food prices spike.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 22, 2021

Instead, the electricity supply had got worse, preventable diseases were spreading, and the collapse of the Yemeni riyal was making them even poorer.

From The Guardian • Dec. 21, 2018