Anyone can print a business card. Anyone can build a website with the word “lawyer” on it.
Before you hand over your case, your documents, and your money, spend ten minutes confirming that the person in front of you is actually licensed to practise law in the Kingdom and licensed to do the specific thing you need.
This guide shows you exactly how, using free official channels.
Why This Check Matters More Than You Think
Three reasons.
First, only a licensed lawyer can represent you in court. For certain matters, including major commercial disputes and corporate proceedings, representation must be through a Saudi-licensed lawyer. Representation by unlicensed persons is not accepted.
Second, licensing creates accountability. A licensed lawyer is regulated by the Ministry of Justice and the Saudi Bar Association, and is subject to disciplinary sanctions under the profession’s rules ranging from a warning through to being struck off the register. An unlicensed adviser gives you no such recourse. If they lose your file or take your fee, your options are far thinner.
Third and this is the check almost nobody runs being “a lawyer” is not enough. Read on.
The Distinction That Catches People Out
The Ministry of Justice maintains two separate lists:
- A list of practicing lawyers
- A list of non-practicing lawyers
A person on the non-practicing list may provide legal consultations, but is not permitted to plead before the Saudi courts.
So a perfectly genuine, qualified, honest lawyer may still be unable to stand up in court for you. If your matter is heading to litigation and your adviser sits on the wrong list, you will discover this at the worst possible moment.
There is a further wrinkle: if a lawyer ceases to practise for more than one year, the Ministry moves their name from the practicing list to the non-practicing list.
Ask which list your lawyer is on. Then verify it yourself.
Method 1: Search the Practicing Lawyers Directory on Najiz
This is the primary check. The Ministry of Justice publishes an electronic directory of practicing lawyers, searchable by city and by name.
- Log in to the Najiz platform (najiz.sa) using your National Single Sign-On credentials.
- Select All Electronic Services.
- From the list, select the Licenses package.
- Open the Practicing Lawyers Directory service.
- Search by city and by lawyer name.
If the name is not there, stop and ask why.
Method 2: Verify the Licence Status Directly
The Ministry of Justice also provides a separate service that allows you to check the status of licences it has issued. Use this to confirm that a licence is current rather than expired or suspended.
This matters because licences must be renewed. Under the Code of Law Practice regulations, lawyers are required to file for renewal at least 90 days before the expiry date, through the Najiz portal. A licence that lapsed is not a licence.
Method 3: Confirm Saudi Bar Association Membership
Licensing and membership are two different things, and the law requires both.
Under the Code of Law Practice, every person licensed to practise law must obtain basic membership of the Saudi Bar Association within 90 days of obtaining their licence.
The Saudi Bar Association operates its own electronic portal. Membership is part of the disciplinary structure that protects you.
What a Licensed Saudi Lawyer Must Satisfy
For context, these are the statutory requirements to appear on the list of practicing lawyers:
- Nationality. A Saudi national. Non-Saudis may practise subject to agreements concluded between the Kingdom and other countries.
- Qualification. A bachelor’s degree in Sharia or in Law from a Saudi university or its equivalent, or an accredited diploma in law from the Institute of Public Administration of not less than two years after a university degree.
- Experience. At least two years of relevant experience. A doctorate in the field exempts the holder; a master’s degree reduces the period.
- Character. Good conduct, not under interdiction, and no hadd sentence or sentence for a crime impugning integrity, unless at least five years have passed since it was carried out.
Each lawyer must also have a place of business and must notify the Ministry of Justice of that address and any change to it. So a firm with no verifiable office address is a question mark.
Checking a Foreign Lawyer or International Firm
If you are dealing with an international firm, the rules differ.
The Ministry of Justice maintains a special register for foreign law firms licensed to practise in the Kingdom, including those holding a temporary licence.
Apart from firms holding a temporary licence, a licensed foreign law firm must ordinarily take a prescribed form before practising typically establishing a professional company with one or more Saudi lawyers registered on the practicing list.
Separately, a licensed Saudi lawyer may be assisted by non-Saudi legal consultants under an employment contract, working under that lawyer’s responsibility and supervision. Their role is restricted to providing assistance and preparing submissions in the name of the licensed lawyer.
The practical question to ask an international firm: who is the licensed Saudi lawyer who will sign my pleadings?
Warning Signs
- The name does not appear in the Practicing Lawyers Directory.
- They are on the non-practicing list, but your matter is going to court.
- They will not tell you the name under which they are registered.
- The licence has expired.
- No verifiable place of business.
- They guarantee an outcome. Under the Rules of Professional Conduct, a lawyer’s advertising must not be misleading, false, or deceptive. Nobody can promise a court result.
- They will not put the scope and fee in writing. This is a professional obligation, not a courtesy we explain it in our guide to how much a lawyer costs in Saudi Arabia.
If Something Goes Wrong
A licensed lawyer sits within a disciplinary framework administered by the Ministry of Justice and the Saudi Bar Association. Sanctions under the Code of Law Practice run from a warning through to a lawyer’s name being struck from the register, imposed by the competent court.
The Ministry of Justice unified call centre is 1950, or +966 92 000 1950 from outside the Kingdom.
This protection is precisely what you forfeit by engaging someone unlicensed.
Run These Checks On Us
We think this is the right way round. Verify first, engage second with any firm, including ours.
We are a law firm in Saudi Arabia based on Olaya Street in the Al Muruj District of Riyadh, founded and chaired by Abdulaziz Mohammed Al-Khorayef. We set out the scope, timeframe, and fee in writing before any work begins, as the Code requires.
For the wider picture, see our seven checks before hiring a law firm, read more about our team, or review what we do.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How Do I Check If A Lawyer Is Licensed In Saudi Arabia?
Log in to the Najiz platform with your National Single Sign-On credentials, select All Electronic Services, choose the Licenses package, and open the Practicing Lawyers Directory. You can search by city and by lawyer name. The Ministry of Justice also offers a separate service to verify the status of licences it has issued.
2. What Is The Difference Between A Practicing And Non-Practicing Lawyer?
The Ministry of Justice keeps both lists. A lawyer on the practicing list may represent clients and plead before the courts. A lawyer on the non-practicing list may give legal consultations but cannot plead before the Saudi courts. A lawyer who stops practising for more than one year is moved to the non-practicing list.
3. Do Saudi Lawyers Have To Join The Saudi Bar Association?
Yes. Under the Code of Law Practice, every person licensed to practise law must obtain basic membership of the Saudi Bar Association within 90 days of obtaining their licence. Membership forms part of the disciplinary structure that protects clients.
4. How Often Must A Saudi Lawyer Renew Their Licence?
Licences require renewal, and the regulations require lawyers to file for renewal at least 90 days before the expiry date, through the Najiz portal. When verifying a lawyer, confirm the licence is current rather than lapsed.
5. Can A Foreign Lawyer Practise Law In Saudi Arabia?
The Ministry of Justice maintains a special register for licensed foreign law firms. Apart from those holding a temporary licence, a licensed foreign firm must ordinarily establish a professional company with one or more Saudi lawyers on the practicing list. Non-Saudi consultants may assist and prepare submissions, but only in the name of the licensed Saudi lawyer.
6. What Happens If My Lawyer Is Not Licensed?
Representation by unlicensed persons is not accepted in certain proceedings, including major commercial and corporate matters, so an unlicensed adviser cannot stand for you in court. You also lose access to the disciplinary framework administered by the Ministry of Justice and the Saudi Bar Association if something goes wrong.
7. What Are The Requirements To Become A Licensed Lawyer In Saudi Arabia?
Broadly: Saudi nationality (non-Saudis subject to international agreements), a bachelor’s degree in Sharia or Law from a Saudi university or equivalent, at least two years of relevant experience (reduced or exempted for higher degrees), good conduct, and no disqualifying criminal sentence. Each lawyer must also notify the Ministry of Justice of their place of business.
8. Can A Lawyer Be Punished For Misconduct In Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Under the Code of Law Practice, penalties are imposed by the competent court and range from a warning to having the lawyer’s name struck from the register and their licence cancelled. The Ministry of Justice unified call centre is 1950, or +966 92 000 1950 from abroad.
