Which instruments can the court enforce?
Compulsory enforcement requires an enforceable instrument for a specified right that is due. Article 7(1) lists:
Final judgments, orders and decisions of Saudi courts, and judgments carrying expedited enforcement.
Arbitral awards under the applicable statutory provisions.
Settlement agreements and reconciliation documents that are notarised or issued by a legally authorised body.
Bills of exchange and promissory notes registered on national electronic platforms.
Cheques.
Contracts and acknowledgements notarised under the Notarisation Law.
Foreign judgments, judicial orders, arbitral awards, settlement agreements and notarised documents, subject to Article 9.
Contracts and documents given the status of enforceable instruments by law or a Council of Ministers resolution.
For a promissory note, check its registration before applying and read our guide to promissory note enforcement and objections. Subject to other applicable provisions, Article 11 does not allow an application based on an instrument whose due date was more than ten years earlier.
How do you file an enforcement request through Najiz?
The Najiz enforcement request service covers financial requests, direct enforcement and personal status requests, and states that no court visit is required. Its published steps are:
Log in through the National Single Sign-On service, choose All E-Services, then the Enforcement package.
Open Submit Enforcement Request, start a new request and select its type.
Enter the applicant's and respondent's details and the substance of the request.
Upload the instrument and required documents, with a translation if the instrument is not in Arabic.
Submit and keep the request number sent by notification and text message, then track it in your account.
You need an active IBAN linked to the applicant's name and identity number, plus the respondent's core details. An agent needs a valid power of attorney covering enforcement requests and acknowledgements.
If the request is incomplete, Article 13 allows ten working days from notification to supply what is missing; otherwise it is treated as rejected. A grievance against non-registration may be filed within ten working days of that deemed rejection. If the instrument meets the requirements, Article 14 provides for an enforcement order and immediate notification. Where notification is impossible, an announcement is made through the appropriate channel and has the effect of notification from its date.
What happens after an enforcement order?
Asset disclosure
The respondent must disclose assets from the date of notification or announcement under Article 15. Where evidence suggests concealment or dissipation, the court may require disclosure from agents, employees, financial counterparties, the respondent's debtors and third parties holding the respondent's assets, to the extent needed.
Five working days, then attachment
If five working days pass without compliance, Article 18 starts compulsory measures against assets: credit-information bodies are notified, and current and future assets may be attached, including amounts owed to the respondent by public bodies. Bank-issued security sufficient to satisfy the right adds ten working days.
The court may also impose a daily fine of up to SAR 5,000, subject to an overall limit set by the implementing regulations. The proceeds go to the state treasury. This is a power available to the court, not an automatic fine in every case.
Travel ban
After the period expires, the court may impose a travel ban at the enforcement applicant's request for up to three years. A further request may extend it, with total periods capped at six years under Article 19. It ends when the enforcement request ends. The article also specifies lifting grounds, including disclosure of sufficient assets from which satisfaction is possible.
Sale and public auction
Article 29 allows the court to let the respondent sell assets voluntarily where that serves enforcement. Otherwise, and subject to the regulations, attached assets are sold by public auction under Article 30. The sale price is not released to the enforcement applicant until ownership transfer has been completed by the competent body under Article 31.
Direct enforcement and detention
Articles 36 and 37 apply when the instrument requires an act or refraining from an act. If thirty working days pass after a compulsory measure under Article 36 without compliance, the court may, at the applicant's request, order coercive detention for up to 180 days, extendable. Exceptions include a respondent aged 18 or under, an accredited medical condition incompatible with detention, pregnancy or having a child under two. This detention concerns direct enforcement; it is not a general description of every unpaid financial debt.
What do Articles 34 and 46 mean now?
Those numbers refer to provisions in the 1433H Enforcement Law. The law must be identified before the number is used:
Reference Subject in the 1433H law Subject-matter comparison in the 1447H law Article 34 Filing a request, checking the instrument, issuing the order, and notification or publication when notification was impossible Articles 13 and 14 on registration, the order, notification and announcement Article 46 A five-day period followed by measures including a travel ban, disclosure, attachment and credit notification Article 18 on five working days, attachment and credit notification; Article 19 on a travel ban requested by the applicant Article 46 in the current law Not applicable Grievances against orders and decisions concerning enforcement procedures, within ten working days
Old Article 34 did not itself set the five-day period; that period appeared in old Article 46. This table compares the subject matter of the two texts rather than asserting that every old measure moved word for word into one new article. For the wider changes, read our guide to the new 1447H Enforcement Law. For background on dealings with government and financial bodies, see service suspension and lifting it.
Received a message from the Enforcement Court: what should you do?
Verify the request officially. Use Najiz's enforcement request inquiry after National Single Sign-On to see requests in which you are the filer, applicant or respondent.
Read the instrument and order. Identify the amount or act required, notification date and current measure, and keep the documents and messages.
Document your response. If the right is due, you can pay or arrange a documented resolution. Najiz also lists a Proof of Payment service for a respondent who paid the applicant outside court.
Use the correct objection route. Article 45 covers disputes about the instrument's validity, conditions for enforcing it or the court's jurisdiction. Article 46 provides a ten-working-day grievance route for specified procedural orders and decisions. Neither stops enforcement automatically unless the competent authority orders a stay under Article 47.
Received an enforcement order, or hold an instrument you want to enforce? Send your details through the financial claims form so the instrument and current procedural step can be reviewed before you act.
When is the money transferred to the enforcement applicant?
Articles 33–35 govern depositing and distributing enforcement proceeds. If the proceeds are sufficient, the court orders distribution among attaching applicants and parties under the applicable rules. If they are insufficient, distribution follows a documented amicable settlement or a court order that observes priority debts. For sold assets, ownership transfer must be completed before the price is released.
The law does not prescribe one period running from attachment to receipt in the applicant's bank account. Najiz's request to transfer an attached amount is available when an attached amount exists and the service conditions are met. To follow a financial entry or what you describe as a payment invoice, use the request verification and financial report functions in Najiz rather than relying on an isolated image or message.
Enforcement in personal status matters
Personal status instruments are enforced through the methods prescribed by the law and regulations under Article 38. This includes financial rights such as maintenance. Custody and visitation instruments are enforced compulsorily, including with assistance from the competent force where necessary under Article 39. In visitation matters, the court considers the child's interest and the circumstances of enforcement under Article 40. For the underlying custody rules, read child custody after divorce.
Enforcement expenses and when a request ends
The respondent generally bears enforcement expenses, but a person who caused them bears them by court decision under Article 32. The applicant bears them when ending the request or releasing the respondent from the right, unless the parties agree otherwise.
Under Article 43, a request ends when the right is satisfied, no assets are established, all procedures have been completed and the prescribed request period has passed, enforcement is impossible, the applicant ends it, or the right is released. Resumption is possible in specified situations where a basis arises. After receiving the right, the applicant must close the request within the period set by the regulations.
Start with Najiz because filing and inquiries do not require a court visit. The Ministry of Justice's Enforcement Courts page says these courts are located across Saudi cities and provinces; that does not mean every step requires attendance.
If a facility requires an appointment for a service unavailable electronically, use Najiz appointment booking. Log in through National Single Sign-On, choose Appointments, start a request and enter the appointment details. The same Najiz process applies whether your request concerns Jeddah, Riyadh or Dammam. For legal support, see our pages for a lawyer in Jeddah, a lawyer in Riyadh and a lawyer in Dammam.
What remains of the 1433H law?
Royal Decree M/237 keeps the 1433H provisions on provisional attachment in Chapter Two until they are transferred to the Law of Procedure before Sharia Courts. It also preserves the insolvency provisions in Part One of Chapter Five until civil insolvency legislation is issued and takes effect, with Enforcement Courts hearing insolvency claims.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Enforcement Court examine the underlying right?
No. Article 4 requires it to check that the enforceable instrument meets its conditions without examining the underlying right. A dispute over that right belongs before the competent court of subject-matter jurisdiction.
How long does the respondent have after notification of an enforcement order?
Five working days. Bank-issued security sufficient to satisfy the right adds ten working days under Article 18.
What happens after an Article 46 enforcement decision?
Under the 1433H law, Article 46 imposed measures after five days without compliance or sufficient disclosure. Check the actual decision in Najiz to identify the current step. In the 1447H law, Article 46 concerns grievances rather than repeating those old measures.
When does the Enforcement Court transfer the money?
Transfer follows deposit of the proceeds and completion of distribution procedures; for a sale, ownership transfer must be completed first. The reviewed texts and services do not set one period covering every request, so track the financial entries in your Najiz request.
Is a debtor automatically banned from travelling?
The law does not provide for an automatic ban. The court acts at the enforcement applicant's request after the Article 18 period, initially for up to three years, with extensions capped at six years in total.
Does the court enforce maintenance and custody decisions?
Yes. Personal status instruments are enforced through the statutory methods. Article 39 expressly provides for compulsory enforcement of custody and visitation instruments, while visitation enforcement must consider the child's interest.
Use Najiz first for filing and inquiries. If the required service is unavailable electronically and the facility requires an appointment, book through the Appointments package on the portal or app.
Does an objection or dispute stop enforcement?
Filing an enforcement dispute, a dispute over the underlying right or a grievance does not itself stop the procedures. They continue unless the competent authority orders a stay, which also stops related procedures and deadlines under Article 47.
Need an instrument or enforcement request reviewed?
The appropriate step depends on the instrument, notification date and current measure. Our licensed lawyers review enforcement requests and related disputes for individuals and companies across Saudi Arabia, in person and remotely. Start by sending the documents and details through the financial claims form, or read about our financial claims service.
Note: this article provides general information about Saudi enforcement law and is not legal advice for a specific case. The appropriate procedure depends on the instrument, facts, documents and decision of the competent authority.The Saudi Enforcement Court enforces judgments and other enforceable instruments. Learn its jurisdiction under the 1447H law, how to apply through Najiz, and what old Articles 34 and 46 mean today.
Short answer: The Enforcement Court supervises enforcement, carries out compulsory enforcement and decides enforcement disputes. It enforces instruments such as final judgments, cheques, registered promissory notes and notarised contracts without reopening the underlying right. Its work is now governed by the Enforcement Law issued by Royal Decree M/237 in 1447H, which replaced the 1433H law.
You may hold a judgment, cheque or notarised contract and want to collect what you are owed, or you may have received an enforcement order. This guide explains jurisdiction, accepted instruments, Najiz filing and tracking, compulsory measures, and the change in article numbering. For a review of documents in a live matter, see our financial claims service.
What is the Enforcement Court and what does it cover?
Article 4 of the 1447H Enforcement Law gives the court responsibility for supervising enforcement and its procedures, compulsory enforcement, enforcement disputes, and related judgments, orders and decisions. Under Article 2, it comprises first-instance and appeal circuits, or first-instance circuits only, depending on its structure.
The court does not enforce criminal penalties, and matters within the jurisdiction of the Diwan of Grievances are excluded. It checks that the instrument meets the statutory requirements without examining the underlying right, subject to the rules for foreign instruments in Article 9.
Enforcement Court versus the court that decided the dispute
A general, commercial or personal status court hears a dispute and establishes the right through a judgment or order. The Enforcement Court starts with an existing enforceable instrument. Bank transfers and correspondence may support a claim, but they do not become an enforceable instrument merely because money is owed. In that situation, you may first need to file a financial claim.
Administrative Enforcement Court in brief
Instruments within administrative jurisdiction, including cases involving an administrative body as defined by the applicable law, follow the Enforcement Law before the Diwan of Grievances. Article 3 assigns the Administrative Enforcement Court enforcement of the instrument and disputes arising from it. Its procedures should not be confused with those of Enforcement Courts under the Ministry of Justice.
Which instruments can the court enforce?
Compulsory enforcement requires an enforceable instrument for a specified right that is due. Article 7(1) lists:
Final judgments, orders and decisions of Saudi courts, and judgments carrying expedited enforcement.
Arbitral awards under the applicable statutory provisions.
Settlement agreements and reconciliation documents that are notarised or issued by a legally authorised body.
Bills of exchange and promissory notes registered on national electronic platforms.
Cheques.
Contracts and acknowledgements notarised under the Notarisation Law.
Foreign judgments, judicial orders, arbitral awards, settlement agreements and notarised documents, subject to Article 9.
Contracts and documents given the status of enforceable instruments by law or a Council of Ministers resolution.
For a promissory note, check its registration before applying and read our guide to promissory note enforcement and objections. Subject to other applicable provisions, Article 11 does not allow an application based on an instrument whose due date was more than ten years earlier.
How do you file an enforcement request through Najiz?
The Najiz enforcement request service covers financial requests, direct enforcement and personal status requests, and states that no court visit is required. Its published steps are:
Log in through the National Single Sign-On service, choose All E-Services, then the Enforcement package.
Open Submit Enforcement Request, start a new request and select its type.
Enter the applicant's and respondent's details and the substance of the request.
Upload the instrument and required documents, with a translation if the instrument is not in Arabic.
Submit and keep the request number sent by notification and text message, then track it in your account.
You need an active IBAN linked to the applicant's name and identity number, plus the respondent's core details. An agent needs a valid power of attorney covering enforcement requests and acknowledgements.
If the request is incomplete, Article 13 allows ten working days from notification to supply what is missing; otherwise it is treated as rejected. A grievance against non-registration may be filed within ten working days of that deemed rejection. If the instrument meets the requirements, Article 14 provides for an enforcement order and immediate notification. Where notification is impossible, an announcement is made through the appropriate channel and has the effect of notification from its date.
What happens after an enforcement order?
Asset disclosure
The respondent must disclose assets from the date of notification or announcement under Article 15. Where evidence suggests concealment or dissipation, the court may require disclosure from agents, employees, financial counterparties, the respondent's debtors and third parties holding the respondent's assets, to the extent needed.
Five working days, then attachment
If five working days pass without compliance, Article 18 starts compulsory measures against assets: credit-information bodies are notified, and current and future assets may be attached, including amounts owed to the respondent by public bodies. Bank-issued security sufficient to satisfy the right adds ten working days.
The court may also impose a daily fine of up to SAR 5,000, subject to an overall limit set by the implementing regulations. The proceeds go to the state treasury. This is a power available to the court, not an automatic fine in every case.
Travel ban
After the period expires, the court may impose a travel ban at the enforcement applicant's request for up to three years. A further request may extend it, with total periods capped at six years under Article 19. It ends when the enforcement request ends. The article also specifies lifting grounds, including disclosure of sufficient assets from which satisfaction is possible.
Sale and public auction
Article 29 allows the court to let the respondent sell assets voluntarily where that serves enforcement. Otherwise, and subject to the regulations, attached assets are sold by public auction under Article 30. The sale price is not released to the enforcement applicant until ownership transfer has been completed by the competent body under Article 31.
Direct enforcement and detention
Articles 36 and 37 apply when the instrument requires an act or refraining from an act. If thirty working days pass after a compulsory measure under Article 36 without compliance, the court may, at the applicant's request, order coercive detention for up to 180 days, extendable. Exceptions include a respondent aged 18 or under, an accredited medical condition incompatible with detention, pregnancy or having a child under two. This detention concerns direct enforcement; it is not a general description of every unpaid financial debt.
What do Articles 34 and 46 mean now?
Those numbers refer to provisions in the 1433H Enforcement Law. The law must be identified before the number is used:
Reference Subject in the 1433H law Subject-matter comparison in the 1447H law Article 34 Filing a request, checking the instrument, issuing the order, and notification or publication when notification was impossible Articles 13 and 14 on registration, the order, notification and announcement Article 46 A five-day period followed by measures including a travel ban, disclosure, attachment and credit notification Article 18 on five working days, attachment and credit notification; Article 19 on a travel ban requested by the applicant Article 46 in the current law Not applicable Grievances against orders and decisions concerning enforcement procedures, within ten working days
Old Article 34 did not itself set the five-day period; that period appeared in old Article 46. This table compares the subject matter of the two texts rather than asserting that every old measure moved word for word into one new article. For the wider changes, read our guide to the new 1447H Enforcement Law. For background on dealings with government and financial bodies, see service suspension and lifting it.
Received a message from the Enforcement Court: what should you do?
Verify the request officially. Use Najiz's enforcement request inquiry after National Single Sign-On to see requests in which you are the filer, applicant or respondent.
Read the instrument and order. Identify the amount or act required, notification date and current measure, and keep the documents and messages.
Document your response. If the right is due, you can pay or arrange a documented resolution. Najiz also lists a Proof of Payment service for a respondent who paid the applicant outside court.
Use the correct objection route. Article 45 covers disputes about the instrument's validity, conditions for enforcing it or the court's jurisdiction. Article 46 provides a ten-working-day grievance route for specified procedural orders and decisions. Neither stops enforcement automatically unless the competent authority orders a stay under Article 47.
Received an enforcement order, or hold an instrument you want to enforce? Send your details through the financial claims form so the instrument and current procedural step can be reviewed before you act.
When is the money transferred to the enforcement applicant?
Articles 33–35 govern depositing and distributing enforcement proceeds. If the proceeds are sufficient, the court orders distribution among attaching applicants and parties under the applicable rules. If they are insufficient, distribution follows a documented amicable settlement or a court order that observes priority debts. For sold assets, ownership transfer must be completed before the price is released.
The law does not prescribe one period running from attachment to receipt in the applicant's bank account. Najiz's request to transfer an attached amount is available when an attached amount exists and the service conditions are met. To follow a financial entry or what you describe as a payment invoice, use the request verification and financial report functions in Najiz rather than relying on an isolated image or message.
Enforcement in personal status matters
Personal status instruments are enforced through the methods prescribed by the law and regulations under Article 38. This includes financial rights such as maintenance. Custody and visitation instruments are enforced compulsorily, including with assistance from the competent force where necessary under Article 39. In visitation matters, the court considers the child's interest and the circumstances of enforcement under Article 40. For the underlying custody rules, read child custody after divorce.
Enforcement expenses and when a request ends
The respondent generally bears enforcement expenses, but a person who caused them bears them by court decision under Article 32. The applicant bears them when ending the request or releasing the respondent from the right, unless the parties agree otherwise.
Under Article 43, a request ends when the right is satisfied, no assets are established, all procedures have been completed and the prescribed request period has passed, enforcement is impossible, the applicant ends it, or the right is released. Resumption is possible in specified situations where a basis arises. After receiving the right, the applicant must close the request within the period set by the regulations.
Start with Najiz because filing and inquiries do not require a court visit. The Ministry of Justice's Enforcement Courts page says these courts are located across Saudi cities and provinces; that does not mean every step requires attendance.
If a facility requires an appointment for a service unavailable electronically, use Najiz appointment booking. Log in through National Single Sign-On, choose Appointments, start a request and enter the appointment details. The same Najiz process applies whether your request concerns Jeddah, Riyadh or Dammam. For legal support, see our pages for a lawyer in Jeddah, a lawyer in Riyadh and a lawyer in Dammam.
What remains of the 1433H law?
Royal Decree M/237 keeps the 1433H provisions on provisional attachment in Chapter Two until they are transferred to the Law of Procedure before Sharia Courts. It also preserves the insolvency provisions in Part One of Chapter Five until civil insolvency legislation is issued and takes effect, with Enforcement Courts hearing insolvency claims.
Related articles: Enforcement disputes · Nafaqa in Saudi law.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Enforcement Court examine the underlying right?
No. Article 4 requires it to check that the enforceable instrument meets its conditions without examining the underlying right. A dispute over that right belongs before the competent court of subject-matter jurisdiction.
How long does the respondent have after notification of an enforcement order?
Five working days. Bank-issued security sufficient to satisfy the right adds ten working days under Article 18.
What happens after an Article 46 enforcement decision?
Under the 1433H law, Article 46 imposed measures after five days without compliance or sufficient disclosure. Check the actual decision in Najiz to identify the current step. In the 1447H law, Article 46 concerns grievances rather than repeating those old measures.
When does the Enforcement Court transfer the money?
Transfer follows deposit of the proceeds and completion of distribution procedures; for a sale, ownership transfer must be completed first. The reviewed texts and services do not set one period covering every request, so track the financial entries in your Najiz request.
Is a debtor automatically banned from travelling?
The law does not provide for an automatic ban. The court acts at the enforcement applicant's request after the Article 18 period, initially for up to three years, with extensions capped at six years in total.
Does the court enforce maintenance and custody decisions?
Yes. Personal status instruments are enforced through the statutory methods. Article 39 expressly provides for compulsory enforcement of custody and visitation instruments, while visitation enforcement must consider the child's interest.
Use Najiz first for filing and inquiries. If the required service is unavailable electronically and the facility requires an appointment, book through the Appointments package on the portal or app.
Does an objection or dispute stop enforcement?
Filing an enforcement dispute, a dispute over the underlying right or a grievance does not itself stop the procedures. They continue unless the competent authority orders a stay, which also stops related procedures and deadlines under Article 47.
Need an instrument or enforcement request reviewed?
The appropriate step depends on the instrument, notification date and current measure. Our licensed lawyers review enforcement requests and related disputes for individuals and companies across Saudi Arabia, in person and remotely. Start by sending the documents and details through the financial claims form, or read about our financial claims service.
Note: this article provides general information about Saudi enforcement law and is not legal advice for a specific case. The appropriate procedure depends on the instrument, facts, documents and decision of the competent authority.
