Most people meet the Saudi court system at a bad moment, and the first question is always the same: which court hears my case?
Filing in the wrong place costs months. This guide sets out the structure in plain English – the five first-instance courts, how appeals work, what the Board of Grievances actually does, and the deadlines that quietly kill claims.
The Big Picture: Two Separate Systems
The Kingdom operates two parallel judicial branches.
1. The general judiciary, administered by the Ministry of Justice and supervised by the Supreme Judicial Council. This handles disputes between private parties – civil, criminal, commercial, family, and employment.
2. The administrative judiciary, known as the Board of Grievances. This handles disputes involving the government.
Get this distinction right first. Suing a trading company and suing a ministry are different journeys through different buildings.
A Note on History (It Explains Today’s Confusion)
If you read older articles, you will find contradictions. Here is why.
In 2007, the Law of the Judiciary (Royal Decree M/78) launched a major reform. It created the Supreme Court as the highest judicial authority, established Courts of Appeal in each province, and provided for specialised first instance courts.
The reform took a decade to roll out. The Commercial Courts opened in September 2017 in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam. The Labour Courts launched on 25 November 2018, completing the process. Commercial and criminal jurisdiction, which the Board of Grievances once held, moved across to the general courts.
So any guide written before 2019 describing the Board of Grievances as the venue for commercial disputes is now out of date.
The Five Courts of First Instance
Your case starts in one of these.
1. Commercial Courts
Jurisdiction covers:
- All commercial disputes between traders, whether principal or consequential
- Claims against a trader arising from their commercial acts
- Disputes among partners or shareholders in companies and partnerships
- Claims and violations relating to the commercial laws
- Bankruptcy proceedings, interdiction of a bankrupt, and lifting it
This is where most business disputes live – unpaid invoices, breach of contract, shareholder conflicts.
2. Labour Courts
Jurisdiction covers disputes over employment contracts, wages, entitlements, work injuries and compensation, disciplinary penalties imposed by an employer, termination, and objections to decisions of the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI).
Important: you cannot go straight to the Labour Court. A mandatory Friendly Settlement stage before the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development comes first. See our guide to Saudi labor law compliance and employee disputes.
3. General Courts
The catch-all. General Courts hear all claims not assigned to another court, the notary public, or the Board of Grievances – including property disputes, traffic matters, and other civil suits, particularly in places without a specialised court.
4. Personal Status (Family) Courts
Marriage, divorce, custody, guardianship, and inheritance matters. This is where an heirship deed is obtained. See our guide to inheritance and wills in Saudi Arabia.
5. Criminal Courts
Organised into panels covering Qisas and Hudud matters, Ta’zir (discretionary punishment), and juvenile cases. A separate Specialized Criminal Court, created in 2008, handles terrorism and state-security matters.
The Court Everyone Forgets: The Execution Court
Winning is not collecting.
Once a final judgment is issued, the Execution Court takes responsibility for enforcing it. It can freeze bank accounts, seize assets, and impose travel bans on a debtor.
Creditors routinely underestimate this stage. A judgment sitting in a drawer is worth nothing. Our enforcement services handle exactly this, and if your judgment came from a court abroad, see enforcing a foreign debt or judgment in Saudi Arabia.
How Appeals Work
The hierarchy runs in three levels:
Courts of First Instance → Courts of Appeal → Supreme Court
The Courts of Appeal sit in each province and are organised into specialised circuits mirroring the first instance courts. They examine the substance of the case.
The Supreme Court, seated in Riyadh, is different. It is a court of law, not a court of facts. It reviews whether the law was correctly applied, acting much like a court of cassation, and does not retry the evidence. It hears only the categories of case defined by law.
The judgment of the Court of Appeal concludes the proceedings, without prejudice to a party’s right to petition the Supreme Court.
The Board of Grievances (Administrative Courts)
Established in 1982 and reorganised under the 2007 reforms, the Board of Grievances is an independent administrative judicial body. Its role is to hold the government to account.
It hears:
- Claims to annul administrative decisions that breach the principle of legality
- Compensation claims for damage caused by administrative action
- Disputes over contracts to which the government is a party
- Disciplinary proceedings brought by the competent authorities
- Claims of rights under the civil service and pension laws
Its hierarchy mirrors the general courts: Administrative Courts → Administrative Courts of Appeal → High Administrative Court.
Deadlines That Quietly Kill Claims
Saudi Arabia has no single general statute of limitations, but specific deadlines bite hard:
| Type of claim | Deadline |
| Labour claim | 12 months from the end of the employment relationship |
| Cheque without provision | 6 months from expiry of the presentation period |
| Judicial review of an administrative decision | 60 days from the date the authority issued the decision |
Sixty days is short. If a government body has issued a decision against you, the clock is already running.
What Actually Happens in a Saudi Court
A few features surprise people from common law countries:
- The system is inquisitorial. Judges take an active role in investigating the claim. There are no juries.
- Proceedings are in Arabic. Oral testimony and documentary evidence must be submitted in Arabic. Foreign documents need translation and legalisation.
- Representation. Certain matters – major commercial disputes and corporate proceedings among them – require representation by a Saudi-licensed lawyer, and representation by unlicensed persons is not accepted.
- Non-attendance has consequences. If a plaintiff fails to appear without valid excuse, the case is dismissed. If a defendant who has been duly notified does not appear, judgment may be rendered in absentia, and a convicted defendant may object within the statutory period.
Everything Is Going Digital
The Kingdom has moved much of the process online:
- Najiz – electronic filing of lawsuits, electronic pleadings, responses to court requests, and case tracking.
- Taradi – a reconciliation platform encouraging amicable settlement outside the courtroom.
- Powers of attorney are issued and verified electronically. See our guide to power of attorney in Saudi Arabia.
The Alternative: Arbitration
Not every commercial dispute belongs in court. Many contracts now name the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA), which is often faster and more private, and whose awards are easier to enforce across borders. Choosing the forum is a drafting decision – see the contract clauses every Saudi business should add.
Where We Fit
We appear before the commercial, labour, and Sharia courts, and manage enforcement before the Execution Court. Choosing the right forum, meeting the deadline, and filing correctly in Arabic decide more cases than eloquence does.
You can view our full range of legal services in Saudi Arabia, read about our litigation services, or see how to choose a law firm before you engage anyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Are The Main Courts In Saudi Arabia?
The general judiciary has five courts of first instance: general, criminal, personal status (family), commercial, and labour courts. Above them sit the Courts of Appeal in each province and the Supreme Court in Riyadh. Separately, the Board of Grievances forms the administrative judiciary and hears disputes involving the government.
2. Which Court Handles Business Disputes In Saudi Arabia?
The Commercial Courts. Their jurisdiction covers commercial disputes between traders, claims against a trader arising from commercial acts, disputes among partners or shareholders, violations of the commercial laws, and bankruptcy proceedings. The Commercial Courts opened in 2017 in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.
3. What Is The Board Of Grievances?
It is the administrative judiciary – an independent judicial body that hears disputes involving the government. It can annul unlawful administrative decisions, award compensation, and hear disputes over government contracts. Its hierarchy runs from the Administrative Courts, to the Administrative Courts of Appeal, to the High Administrative Court.
4. What Does The Execution Court Do?
Once a final judgment is issued, the Execution Court enforces it. Its powers include freezing bank accounts, seizing assets, and imposing travel bans on the debtor. Obtaining a judgment and collecting on it are two separate stages.
5. Can I Appeal A Judgment In Saudi Arabia?
Yes. A first instance judgment may be appealed to the Court of Appeal in the relevant province, which examines the substance of the case. A party may then petition the Supreme Court, which reviews whether the law was correctly applied rather than retrying the facts.
6. Do I Need A Saudi Lawyer To Represent Me In Court?
For certain matters, including major commercial disputes and corporate proceedings, representation must be through a Saudi-licensed lawyer, and unlicensed representation is not accepted. Proceedings are conducted in Arabic, and evidence must be submitted in Arabic, which makes self-representation impractical for most foreign litigants.
7. How Long Do I Have To File A Claim In Saudi Arabia?
There is no single general statute of limitations, but specific deadlines apply. A labour claim must be brought within 12 months of the end of the employment relationship. A claim on a cheque without provision must be brought within 6 months of the expiry of the presentation period. A judicial review of an administrative decision must be filed within 60 days of the decision.
8. Can I File A Case Online In Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Through the Najiz portal you can file a lawsuit, submit pleadings, respond to court requests, and track proceedings without attending court. The Taradi platform separately supports reconciliation and amicable settlement outside the courtroom.
