Electronic Power of Attorney on Najiz: Issuing, Choosing Powers, Verifying and Revoking

What is an electronic power of attorney on Najiz?

Through the Najiz platform, the Ministry of Justice offers a “Power of Attorney Registration Request” service, an electronic service for entering the details of the power of attorney to be issued and adding the parties, clauses and duration. The service is aimed at individuals and the government and private sectors, and it requires knowing the national ID or residence permit number and date of birth when adding the parties. According to the service page at the time of writing, there is no fee.

In some cases, depending on the ID type or the parties' circumstances, issuance may need to be completed through the virtual notary office, and the page also points to options for elderly, ill and disabled beneficiaries.

Steps to issue the power of attorney

• Log in to the Najiz platform through the Unified National Access.
• Select electronic services, then the powers of attorney and acknowledgments package, then the power of attorney registration service.
• Submit a new request and choose the type of power of attorney.
• Enter the details of the principal or principals, then of the agent or agents.
• Choose the clauses of the power of attorney and set its duration.
• Review the power of attorney and confirm submission of the request, then follow up to complete issuance.

Before you start: what to prepare

Preparing in advance shortens the process and reduces mistakes. Before opening the service, have the following ready:

• The national ID or residence permit number and date of birth of each party, as the service requires them.
• A written statement of the purpose of the power of attorney: a specific case, an enforcement request, or a transaction with a particular authority.
• A list of the powers this purpose actually requires, after discussing them with the agent.
• A suitable duration for the power of attorney and the expected date its purpose will be completed.

Issuance may not be possible in some cases. Among the measures in Article 46 of the current Enforcement Law, when a debtor is deemed a defaulter, is the suspension of the issuance of powers of attorney by the debtor, directly or indirectly, concerning assets and what derives from them. So if you are unable to issue a power of attorney in this area, check whether any enforcement requests are open in your name before taking any other step, and contact the competent authority to find out the reason.

Choose the powers carefully

The clauses of a power of attorney define what the agent can do on your behalf, so it is wise not to add any power the matter does not need. Practical guidance:

• Read the text of each clause before selecting it, not just its title.
• Take particular care with powers that have a direct financial or legal effect, such as receiving and collecting funds, making admissions, settling, releasing, waiving, selling and transferring title.
• Set a suitable duration rather than an unnecessarily long one.
• Use a separate power of attorney for each matter where needed, instead of one broad power covering everything.
• Review the final text after issuance and keep the power of attorney number.

A power of attorney for a lawyer

When appointing a lawyer, discuss the powers the scope of the engagement requires, such as pleading and defense, filing enforcement requests or receiving funds, and ask the lawyer to explain why each power is needed. The Najiz “Submit an Enforcement Request” service requires, where an agent files the request, a valid power of attorney that includes authority to file enforcement requests, which shows why the clauses must match the work required.

Before issuing the power of attorney, verify the lawyer's license; read how to verify a lawyer's license before appointing them. Combined with remote litigation, an electronic power of attorney often lets you follow a case without traveling to the court's city.

Verifying and revoking a power of attorney

The Ministry of Justice offers a “Verify a Power of Attorney” service to check the status of a power of attorney it issued and view its clauses and parties. It requires the power of attorney number, the ID number of one of its parties and a verification code sent by text message, with no fee. Anyone dealing with an agent, whether an individual or a business, should verify the power of attorney and its clauses before completing the transaction.

The “Revoke a Power of Attorney” service allows a power of attorney to be revoked electronically, whether the user is the principal or the agent. The power of attorney must be active or partially revoked, and the user must have an activated national access account. After revocation, the system issues confirmation of the revocation and notifies the parties by text message, with no fee according to the service page. It is also advisable to inform any authority to which the power of attorney was submitted that it has been revoked.

Practical checklist

• Verify the agent's identity, and their license if they are a lawyer.
• Choose the fewest powers that achieve the purpose, and read the text of each clause.
• Set a duration that suits the matter.
• Review the text of the power of attorney after issuance and keep its number.
• Revoke the power of attorney as soon as its purpose is fulfilled or trust is lost.
• Review your active powers of attorney regularly through the Najiz powers of attorney services.

The appropriate powers vary with the nature and documents of each case, so it is wise to define them after understanding the scope of the work required.