Statement of Claim Format Requirements in the Saudi Summary and General Courts
Page-by-page format guidance for a self-prepared statement of claim in the Saudi Summary and General courts: what the Arabic document must contain, how it is registered through Najiz, and where the summary tier ends and authorised representation begins.
Saudi Arabia - General and Summary courts
How it works
- Draft the statement of claim in Arabic. Arabic is the language of the courts, and a claim written in another language is not accepted; any translation must be certified.
- Set the page: A4 paper, 2.5 cm margins on all four sides, 12 point type, and numbered paragraphs starting at 1.
- Register the claim electronically in the Najiz portal and enter the parties' details in full, with the identity or commercial registration number and the national address.
- Put the events in dated numbered paragraphs, then the documents with an attachment index that numbers each one continuously, then the requests in the filer's own words.
- Sign the claim in ink with the printed name beneath it, attach a power of attorney where the claim is filed by an agent or for a company whose circuit requires authorised representation, and pay the fee.
Next
Do the Saudi courts accept a statement of claim written in English?
No. Article 1 of the Law of Procedure before Sharia Courts provides that Arabic is the official language of the courts, and a claim written in another language is not accepted; documents in another language are filed with a translation certified by an approved translator.
Can an individual file without a representative?
In summary matters where the person attends in person, yes, and that is the scope of this document set. Where the claimant is a company or the circuit requires authorised representation, the claim must be signed and filed by an authorised representative; this tool does not act as that representative.
How is the claim submitted electronically?
The claim is registered in the Najiz portal and then completed at the court; the case number the portal returns is entered in the heading, and the fee is paid electronically according to the value claimed.
Format requirements for this court
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- نظام المرافعات الشرعية (Law of Procedure before Sharia Courts), المادتان الأولى والثانية: اللغة العربية هي لغة المحاكم وقواعد تقديم الدعوى
- اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام المرافعات الشرعية وقواعد المرافعات المدنية والتجارية في قيد الدعاوى وإرفاق المستندات (Implementing Regulations and the civil and commercial procedure rules on registration and filing requirements)
- وزارة العدل - إجراءات رفع الدعوى والرسوم والترجمة المعتمدة (Ministry of Justice: filing procedure, fees and approved translators)
- منصة ناجز - تسجيل الدعاوى والاستعلام عن القضايا والأحكام (Najiz portal: electronic filing, case look-up and judgment search)
- نظام المحاماة الصادر بالمرسوم الملكي رقم م/38 - التمثيل أمام المحاكم (Law of Lawyering, Royal Decree No. M/38, on representation before the courts)
- هيئة الخبراء بمجلس الوزراء - قاعدة الأنظمة واللوائح (Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers legal database)