Learn how to issue and verify a Saudi electronic POA, remove yourself from it, and handle special cases under current official rules.
Short answer: You can issue an electronic POA through Najiz with Nafath by entering the parties, clauses and duration, approving the request and completing SMS verification. It cannot exceed one year and requires no printing, stamp or signature. You can verify its status and clauses online, and any party can electronically remove itself at any time.
This guide brings together three tasks that users often handle separately: issuing a POA, checking it before relying on it, and electronically removing one party from it at that party's own request. It also explains what changes after the principal's death, when the principal's ID has expired, and when a person over 65 is issuing a POA for the first time.
The steps are based on the official Najiz POA issuance guide and the government's verification services. Before entering any data, identify the principal, the agent and the exact acts to be authorised. The selected clauses determine what the agent may do.
What is an electronic POA and what does it allow?
An electronic power of attorney is a notarised authorisation issued through the Ministry of Justice's electronic services. It records the principal, the agent, the authorised clauses and the POA's duration. The service is fully electronic; the approved POA does not need to be printed, stamped or signed by hand.
An individual can apply in the capacity of "on one's own behalf" as principal, or "agent under a POA" when acting under an existing authorisation. For a business, the relevant capacities are "establishment owner" or "company representative". Choosing the correct capacity matters because it establishes the applicant's relationship to the POA and the information required.
An electronic POA cannot exceed one year. A shorter period can be selected when creating the request. Do not assume every POA lasts a full year: the recorded duration in the issued document is the reference.
Before approval, check the parties' names, ID numbers and each clause. A POA for administrative follow-up may not contain litigation clauses, while a POA for a specific transaction should reflect that limited purpose. If the agent will represent a person or business in a dispute, review the required clauses before issuance rather than discovering a gap when the document is presented.
How do you issue an electronic POA through Najiz?
Prepare the principal's and agent's details and decide on the clauses and duration. If applying as an agent under an existing POA, first review that document and the authority it gives you. Then follow the steps in the official Najiz service guide:
Log in to Najiz through the National Single Sign-On service, Nafath.
Open "All e-services", then select "Powers of Attorney and Declarations".
Select "Issue a power of attorney" and create a "New request".
Choose your capacity: on your own behalf or as an agent under a POA for individuals, or establishment owner or company representative where relevant to a business.
Enter the principal's and agent's details as recorded in the official records and review them.
Select the clauses to include. Read each clause and limit the authorisation to what is needed for the intended purpose.
Select a duration of no more than one year.
Review the request summary and select "Approve" after confirming the parties, clauses and duration.
Complete the verification sent by SMS according to the instructions shown in the service.
After issuance, keep the POA number and details, and verify the registered document before sharing or using it. Najiz also allows clauses to be saved as favourites and an earlier POA to be reissued. When using either feature, review the information again. Repeating an earlier request does not remove the need to confirm the parties, the suitability of the clauses and the new duration.
How do you verify an electronic POA?
Verification is a separate step from issuance. An agent may need it before acting, a principal may use it to confirm the recorded details, or an organisation dealing with the POA may need to review its status and content. The Ministry of Justice provides a POA verification service, and Najiz provides a transaction verification page.
Follow these steps:
Open either official verification service linked above.
Enter the POA information requested on the page, copying it accurately from the document.
Submit the verification request and open the recorded result.
Review the POA status first, then the principal, agent and any other parties.
Compare the displayed clauses and details with the intended use. Matching the number alone is not enough.
If the status or details differ from what you expected, do not rely on the copy until the official record has been clarified.
This review can reveal an outdated copy or information that does not match the intended authorisation. Verifying the number does not answer the separate question of scope: the status, parties, clauses and details all need attention. If there is a disagreement over a clause or the effect of a change, the response depends on the facts and documents, not on a copy circulated between the parties.
How do you partially remove yourself from an electronic POA?
Najiz allows any party to a POA to remove itself electronically at any time. This is partial self-removal: the party takes action concerning itself. It does not give that party the right to remove someone else or rewrite the POA's clauses.
To manage the process carefully:
Log in to Najiz through Nafath using the account of the party who wants to be removed.
Open "Powers of Attorney and Declarations" and display the relevant POA from the records available to your account.
Select the partial-removal or self-removal action shown for the POA, according to the options available for your account's capacity.
Review the POA number and parties before confirming. Check that the action removes you and is not a different request.
Confirm the request and complete any verification requested by the platform.
Afterwards, use an official verification service to review the updated status, parties and details, and retain evidence of the action and its result.
Do not assume the effect is identical in every case. If there are multiple parties, check the record to see who and what remains. If you were the only principal or agent, verify the final status rather than relying on the action's name. Self-removal should also not be used as a substitute for a legal process addressing an existing dispute or a challenged earlier act.
Which special cases need attention before issuance or use?
Some circumstances change the available route or clauses, so the standard issuance steps do not answer every question:
Death of the principal: The POA ends automatically on the principal's death through the link with the Ministry of Interior, according to Najiz. The agent should not continue using it after death, and its status can be checked in the official record when needed.
Expired principal ID: If the principal's ID has expired, electronic issuance is limited to claims and court clauses. The available options may therefore differ from a standard request. Check ID validity before planning a POA for other purposes, and do not expect clauses outside that scope to be available.
A person over 65 with no previous POA: Where the principal is over 65 and has never issued a POA, the first one must be handled through a virtual notary or licensed notaries. Electronic issuance can be used afterwards. Check whether a previous POA exists before selecting the route because this condition concerns the first issuance at that age.
Applying as an agent under a POA: The availability of this capacity does not replace a review of the original POA. Confirm its principal, that the requested clauses fall within your authority, and keep its details available when creating the request.
Establishments and companies: Identify whether you are the establishment owner or company representative and use the matching capacity. Keep the business's details distinct from its representative's details when reviewing the request, and verify that all parties appear correctly after issuance.
Reissue and favourite clauses: These features make it easier to reuse earlier information, but they do not remove the need to verify the duration, status and parties in each new request.
When should you obtain a legal review?
The electronic service completes the notarisation process; it does not decide which clauses suit your circumstances. A legal review is useful when the POA relates to a dispute, includes court representation, or there is disagreement about an agent's act. It is also relevant when expired ID, death or a party's self-removal may affect an ongoing process.
Before requesting a review, prepare the POA number, its clauses, the verification result and documents relating to the act or dispute. You can request a legal consultation to review the authority and documents before approval or action. If the matter forms part of a claim or lawsuit, see the litigation service to consider the appropriate route for the facts.
Frequently asked questions
Does an electronic POA need printing, a stamp or a signature?
No. Issuance is fully electronic and does not require the POA to be printed, stamped or signed by hand. Use the official record to check its details and status when needed.
What is the maximum duration of an electronic POA?
The maximum is one year, and a shorter duration can be selected. Check the expiry shown in the POA itself rather than assuming it was issued for a full year.
Can a person over 65 issue their first POA electronically?
If they have never issued a POA, the first one is handled through a virtual notary or licensed notaries. Electronic issuance can then be used, according to the Najiz guidance.
What happens to a POA when the principal dies?
It ends automatically through the link with the Ministry of Interior. The verification service can be used to check its status; an old copy should not be relied on to continue acting after death.
Can an agent remove itself without deleting the other parties?
Najiz allows any party to remove itself electronically at any time. The action concerns the requesting party and does not authorise it to remove someone else. Afterwards, verify the status and remaining parties in the official record.
What should I do if the verification result differs from my copy?
Check the status, clauses, parties and details, and confirm that you entered the correct information. If the difference remains, do not rely on the copy before clarifying the official record. If it relates to an act or dispute, seek a legal review with the POA, verification result and relevant documents.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information about electronic POA services in Saudi Arabia and is not legal advice for a specific case. Check the information displayed on the official platforms when taking action, and consult a qualified lawyer where a dispute or particular circumstances require a document-specific assessment.
