Indicative — the Law and its Regulation prevail
Court Fees in Saudi Arabia: When They Apply and How Much
Judicial costs are amounts set by the Judicial Costs Law and its Implementing Regulation on lawsuits and requests filed with Saudi courts. The competent department sets the amount when the case or request is registered and notifies the claimant, who may object within 15 days to the court president or a delegated judge; that decision is final (Law, Art. 11).
Non-payment does not stop a case from being registered or decided, except cassation and re-hearing petitions, which must be paid within 30 days of registration or the right lapses (Art. 12). The final assessment is issued after the case ends (Regulation, Art. 8), and as a rule the losing party bears all or part of it (Art. 13).
For an estimate for your case, use the official judicial costs calculator on the Ministry of Justice portal. Judicial costs calculator — Ministry of Justice
How much are court fees?
No more than 5% of the claim value, capped at SAR 1,000,000 (Law, Art. 3). Article 2 of the Regulation sets the rates for claims of known value:
| Claim value | Rate |
|---|---|
| Under SAR 100,000 | 5% |
| SAR 100,000 to under 500,000 | 4% |
| SAR 500,000 to under 1,000,000 | 3% |
| SAR 1,000,000 and above | 2% |
- Claims of unspecified value (Regulation, Art. 3): private criminal claims SAR 10,000, commercial 5,000, urgent matters 3,000, general courts 3,000, enforcement disputes 3,000, labor 2,000.
- Enforcement requests (Regulation, Art. 5): direct enforcement SAR 500; other enforcement requests 2% of the claim, minimum SAR 500 and maximum SAR 10,000, borne by the party enforced against unless the requester is shown not to be entitled to all or part of the claim.
- Requests (Regulation, Arts. 6–7): re-hearing petition SAR 10,000, cassation 7,000, appeal 5,000, joinder, recusal, correction or interpretation of a judgment and stay of execution 2,000, incidental request 1,000.
- Annulment of an arbitral award: 1% of the awarded amount, charged to the party seeking annulment if the claim is rejected, up to SAR 1,000,000 (Law, Art. 5).
Which cases are exempt from court fees?
The Law does not apply (Art. 2) to public criminal and disciplinary cases; personal-status court cases and estate-division cases, except cassation and re-hearing petitions; matters within the Board of Grievances' jurisdiction; cases under the Bankruptcy Law; and non-contentious applications. No costs are charged (Art. 17) to prisoners and detainees in non-criminal financial cases, to workers claiming dues under employment contracts, or to ministries and government bodies. The State bears costs owed by social-security beneficiaries (Council of Ministers Resolution 519), and if an exempt party wins, the losing party pays (Art. 18).
Are court fees refunded, and who ultimately pays?
- Costs are refunded when they turn out not to be owed, including judgment in the payer's favor, the claimant withdrawing before the first hearing, and settlement before the first hearing is adjourned (Art. 16).
- On settlement, parties share costs equally unless agreed otherwise (Art. 13); costs drop to one quarter if settled in court after the first hearing and before judgment (Art. 15).
- If a case is struck off, deemed void or ruled inadmissible for improper drafting and is then heard again, an extra 25% of the original costs applies, borne by the claimant even if they win (Art. 4).
- No new costs apply after a lack-of-jurisdiction transfer or a cassation remand (Art. 10), and the final assessment is an enforceable instrument (Art. 14).
Sources: Judicial Costs Law · Implementing Regulation
FAQ
Do I have to pay court fees before filing?
No. Non-payment does not prevent registration or hearing, and the final assessment comes after the case ends. The exception is cassation and re-hearing petitions, which must be paid within 30 days of registration.
What is the maximum court fee?
No more than 5% of the claim value, capped at SAR 1,000,000 per case. The Regulation's rate falls as the claim grows, down to 2% for claims of SAR 1,000,000 or more.
Are labor cases exempt?
A worker claiming dues under an employment contract is exempt (Law, Art. 17). Labor claims of unspecified value by non-exempt parties are assessed at SAR 2,000 (Regulation, Art. 3).
Who pays if I win?
The losing party, as a rule, and costs you paid are refunded if judgment is in your favor. If you win only part of your claim, you bear the share for the part not awarded.
Can I object to the amount?
Yes, within 15 days of notification, before the court president or a delegated judge; the decision is final.
