Judicial Enforcement

What do we offer in this area?

• Reviewing debt documents, instruments and judgments
• Preparing claims and following up on amicable collection
• Following up on enforcement procedures within the scope of the engagement

The scope of work and required documents are determined after reviewing the matter and agreeing on the engagement.

The enforcement request filed with the Enforcement Court by the creditor

If you hold a court judgment or another enforcement instrument for a fixed, due amount, the next step is an enforcement request filed electronically through Najiz with the Enforcement Court. The request requires a copy of the instrument, the judgment debtor's details, a bank account in the name of the party seeking enforcement, and, if filed by a lawyer, a power of attorney that includes the authority to submit enforcement requests. Enforcement instruments include:

• Judgments and orders issued by the courts
• Negotiable instruments such as the check and the promissory note
• Notarized contracts and instruments
• Settlement minutes issued by authorized bodies or certified by the courts

The Enforcement Order and Suspension of Services under the Current Enforcement Law

After the request is registered, an enforcement order is issued and served on the debtor, commonly known in practice as Decision 34. If the debtor does not pay or disclose sufficient funds within five days of being served, the Enforcement Law deems them evasive, and the judge orders the measures under Article 46, including a travel ban, suspension of issuing powers of attorney over their funds, and disclosure and seizure of their assets. These measures are what is commonly called service suspension, detailed in the article The Enforcement Law and Service Suspension.

If You Are the Party Against Whom Enforcement Is Sought

Ignoring the notification does not stop the proceedings; it only increases their consequences. The appropriate response begins by reviewing the instrument, its amount, and its date, then choosing what suits the situation:

• Payment, or reaching an agreement with the enforcement applicant on a settlement recorded in the request
• Disclosing assets sufficient for payment within the deadline
• Filing an enforcement dispute if the objection concerns the validity of the instrument or the conditions for its enforcement
• Request to lift Article 46 measures after the request ends or enforcement is completed

The New Enforcement Law: What You Need to Know Now

A new Enforcement Law was issued by Royal Decree No. (M/237) dated 3/11/1447H, published in the Official Gazette on 14/11/1447H, and takes effect one hundred eighty days after its publication, i.e., approximately late October 2026; until then, the current law remains in force. The new law reorganizes compulsory enforcement procedures and their time limits, so pending requests should be reviewed once work transitions to it under the transitional provisions. To follow up on a debt from the outset, see the Financial Claims service.

Frequently asked questions

What deadline does the debtor have after being notified of the enforcement order?

The current Enforcement Law gives the debtor five days from the date of being notified of the enforcement order, or from the date of publication if notification could not be effected, to pay or disclose assets sufficient to satisfy the debt, after which the measures under Article 46 may be taken. The new law, expected to take effect in late October 2026, sets this period at five working days.

How is the suspension of services lifted from the debtor?

The Article 46 measures are tied to the existence of an enforcement request, so once the debtor pays or the request ends, their lifting is requested via Najiz according to the conditions set out in the Ministry of Justice’s guidance manual. It is advisable for the debtor to keep proof of payment and to follow up on officially closing the request rather than relying solely on a verbal agreement with the creditor.

Can an objection be raised against the enforcement request?

Yes, through an enforcement dispute before the Enforcement Court when the objection concerns the validity of the instrument or the conditions or procedures of its enforcement, such as an alleged claim of payment. However, filing an enforcement dispute does not automatically suspend enforcement, and it does not reopen the underlying right already decided by a final judgment, so the grounds for the objection and its supporting documents should be studied before it is filed.