In the 18th and 19th century, the riyal was traditionally associated with the Maria Theresa thaler, currency that was widely in use in Yemen owing to the Mocha coffee trade with the French, and a Yemeni request that its produce be paid with thalers.
Pada abad ke-18 dan 19, riyal secara tradisional terkait dengan Thaler Maria Theresa, uang yang banyak digunakan di Yaman karena perdagangan kopi moka dengan Prancis, dan Yaman meminta agar produknya dapat dibayar dengan thaler.