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RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Justice Walid Al-Samaani has said that the new enforcement system, approved by the Cabinet in April, is built on a balanced philosophy that preserves the creditor’s right to obtain their due while taking into account the fundamental rights of the debtor and their family.
Al-Samaani told Al-Eqtisadiah that the objective of the new system is to secure rights, “not to harm individuals.”
The minister stated: “Rights are not fully protected merely by the issuance of a judgment or instrument, but rather by their efficient and reliable enforcement, which strengthens the business environment and enhances confidence in financial and commercial transactions.”
He noted that 2025 recorded 1.6 million enforcement requests valued at SR165 billion ($43.9 billion).
In an interview focusing on the enforcement system, the minister affirmed that enforcing rights and contracts is a fundamental component of investment confidence and the stability of economic transactions. “The clearer, faster, and more effective the enforcement procedures are, the greater the reliability of the judicial and economic environment,” he said.
The judicial sector in Saudi Arabia has been undergoing radical changes since the launch of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in 2016, with several systems being enacted to keep pace with economic, social, and various other transformations in the country.
At the forefront of those overseeing these changes is Al-Samaani, who has been in his position since the first formation of the Council of Ministers under the reign of King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
Among the most prominent judicial systems approved by the Saudi government is the new enforcement system, which has seen substantial amendments, most notably the abolition of imprisonment for those unable to pay and measures related to suspending services and restricting travel bans.
Regarding commercial courts, Al-Samaani explained that the number of cases handled by commercial courts since their establishment has reached 500,000, while more than 97,600 commercial judgments were issued in 2025, marking a 32 percent increase compared to 2024.
The minister also discussed the digital transformation in the judicial sector, from the founding phase to the current quality of services, as well as artificial intelligence and its role in enhancing the judicial system.
Full interview with Walid Al-Samaan by Al-Eqtisadiah
Your excellency, the judicial apparatus enjoys significant support from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and continuous care and follow-up from the Crown Prince to enhance the efficiency of the justice system. How has this support reflected on the maturity of the judicial system, and what are the most prominent transformations that have reshaped justice in Saudi Arabia in recent years?
The tremendous support from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the direct support and follow-up from the Crown Prince have been the foundation of the transformation witnessed by the judicial system in recent years, whether at the level of legislation, technology, or service quality.
Among the most prominent transformations is the development of specialized legislation announced by the Crown Prince, from which the Evidence System, the Personal Status System, and the Civil Transactions System have been issued, in addition to enhancing the efficiency and re-engineering of procedures, expanding digital judicial services, strengthening judicial specialization, improving the beneficiary experience, and keeping pace with developments related to artificial intelligence.
Justice today is no longer tied to traditional procedures or location; rather, it has become an integrated digital institutional system that operates with higher efficiency and reaches the beneficiary with ease and transparency.
These transformations have contributed to raising judicial efficiency, accelerating the enforcement of rights, enhancing confidence in the judicial and investment environment, and building an advanced Saudi model in judicial development, which has been reflected in a number of global judicial indicators.
Enforcement courts have seen significant growth in recent years, coinciding with the issuance of the new enforcement system. How has this reality reshaped the concept and philosophy of enforcement within the judicial system?
The new enforcement system is based on a balanced philosophy that preserves the creditor’s right to obtain their due while, at the same time, taking into account the fundamental rights of the debtor and their family, and not making financial default a cause for harm to the individual or an affront to their dignity.
What is required in enforcement is to secure rights, not to harm individuals.
Moreover, the concept of enforcement today is no longer limited to being a procedure subsequent to a judgment or enforceable instrument; it has become a cornerstone for enhancing confidence in transactions and contracts and the stability of economic activity.
This is because the value of a contract is not realized simply by its conclusion, but rather by the existence of an effective enforcement system that ensures rights are satisfied efficiently and swiftly in the event of default or dispute.
The year 2025 witnessed the registration of more than 1.6 million enforcement requests with a value exceeding SR165 billion, reflecting the volume of financial transactions passing through the judicial system and the confidence it enjoys in satisfying rights.
Hence, the system shifted enforcement from focusing on the debtor’s person to focusing on their financial capacity and assets, while strengthening disclosure tools, asset tracing, procedural controls, and expanding digital solutions, thereby achieving effective justice without overstepping safeguards.
The protection of a right is not complete merely upon the issuance of a judgment or instrument, but rather through its efficient and reliable satisfaction, which contributes to enhancing the stability of the business environment, reducing social impacts, and increasing confidence in financial and commercial transactions.
How does the new enforcement system contribute to enhancing confidence in the investment environment and the stability of financial and commercial transactions in Saudi Arabia?
The enforcement of rights and contracts is a fundamental element of investment confidence and the stability of economic transactions. The clearer, faster, and more effective the enforcement procedures are, the greater the reliability of the judicial and economic environment.
Furthermore, enforcement efficiency is not reflected only on the creditor but on the overall economic cycle, as any delay in satisfying rights affects liquidity, the ability of companies and individuals to meet their obligations, and the stability of market transactions.
The new system was therefore introduced to raise enforcement efficiency, develop tools for accessing funds, enhance the reliability of enforceable instruments, and reduce procedural disputes, thereby contributing to accelerating the circulation of funds, limiting default risks, and increasing confidence in contracts and financial and commercial transactions.
Moreover, enhancing creditors’ ability to obtain their rights positively impacts lending and financing decisions and increases opportunities for financial institutions to expand in a more transparent and stable environment, which supports the Kingdom’s competitiveness and enhances its investment attractiveness.
The system includes expanded mechanisms for data exchange and tracking the financial movements of individuals and companies, in integration with government entities and the private sector. How will this integration be managed, and what is its expected impact on the speed and efficiency of enforcement?
Asset tracing is one of the most prominent procedures addressed by the new system. Enforcement seizure is not limited to funds available in bank accounts or investment portfolios; it extends to tracking the movement of funds, especially in large debts.
This integration is carried out through orders issued by the competent court, including enabling authorized entities to access relevant data and information in accordance with precise regulatory controls and procedures.
The expected impact is reflected in raising enforcement proceeds, combating cases of money smuggling and concealment, accelerating the satisfaction of rights, expanding collection avenues, thereby enhancing enforcement efficiency and effectiveness, and strengthening the reliability of financial and commercial transactions.
The new system has given attention to electronic instruments and their documentation through approved platforms. Are we facing a gradual transition from paper instruments to a fully digital environment?
Enforceable instruments are witnessing a growth of approximately 20 percent annually, which necessitated enhancing their reliability by requiring their electronic registration on approved platforms.
This approach is not limited to eliminating paper; it also contributes to documenting instrument data and verifying it more accurately, reducing the likelihood of forgery or fraud, expediting enforcement procedures, and enhancing the verifiability and reliability of financial obligations, while also reducing disputes.
Commercial courts have witnessed significant development in recent years in terms of specialization and procedures. How has this impacted the quality of judgments and the speed of adjudication, and what does the significant growth in commercial cases indicate about the development of the economic and investment environment in the Kingdom?
Judicial specialization in commercial courts has contributed to building a deeper understanding of the nature of commercial and financial transactions, which has been reflected in the quality of judgments, raising the efficiency of judicial outputs, and enhancing the predictability and stability of rulings.
Digital procedures, the development of judicial pathways, and the improvement of case management efficiency have also contributed to reducing litigation periods and accelerating the adjudication of commercial disputes, thereby enhancing confidence in the commercial and investment environment.
During 2025, more than 97,600 commercial judgments were issued, marking a 32 percent increase compared to 2024, while the average number of sessions per closed case was only two, reflecting the improvement in procedural efficiency and speed of completion.
Commercial courts have also handled approximately 500,000 cases since their establishment. These figures not only reflect the volume of economic activity and the diversity of commercial transactions in the Kingdom but also reflect the confidence of investors and transactors in the existence of a specialized and effective commercial judiciary capable of handling disputes efficiently and reliably.
The clearer, faster, and more stable the judicial system is, the greater the reliability of the investment environment, and the higher the market’s ability to grow and attract business and investments.
The world is witnessing rapid developments in the fields of digital assets and artificial intelligence. What is the impact of these transformations on the future of the judicial system, and what is the Ministry’s direction in leveraging artificial intelligence to develop judicial services and procedures?
The judicial system, like other sectors, is witnessing rapid developments related to artificial intelligence and digital assets. These transformations will affect the nature of relationships and transactions and will produce new patterns of disputes and legal challenges, requiring legislative, regulatory, and judicial readiness capable of keeping pace with this development efficiently and flexibly.
Conversely, artificial intelligence represents an important opportunity to develop the judicial system itself, not only at the level of services but also in raising procedural efficiency, enhancing the quality of outputs, supporting speed of completion, and leveraging data to build more efficient and proactive work models.
The next phase in the judicial system is not merely about expanding digital services but about maximizing their impact and the quality of their outcomes.
Digital transformation was a foundational phase; today, the focus is on developing the beneficiary journey, enhancing the reliability of procedures, strengthening the quality of justice and the efficiency of accessing rights, and transitioning from traditional procedural models to more proactive models that are more closely tied to data and decision quality.
In this context, the ministry is working on a number of tracks related to artificial intelligence, particularly in judicial aspects with high procedural density, including enforcement, by developing models that contribute to raising procedural efficiency, improving data analysis, and supporting speed of completion, while preserving the central role of the judge in assessing facts and applying systems.
Furthermore, the future direction is not limited to addressing disputes after they occur; it extends to building clearer and more proactive models that reduce the likelihood of disputes arising in the first place and enhance stability in transactions and contracts.