Enforcement Request on Najiz in Saudi Arabia: How to File

A court has awarded you SAR 80,000, or you hold a promissory note that fell due two months ago, and the debtor does not answer your calls. The next step is usually an enforcement request through Najiz (the Ministry of Justice e-services portal), not a new lawsuit.

The short answer: this works only if the paper you hold is an "executive instrument" (sanad tanfidhi), meaning a document the Enforcement Court can enforce directly. Otherwise the request comes back to you or is archived.

The new Enforcement Law comes into force 180 days after its publication in the Official Gazette on 14/11/1447H (1 May 2026), around the end of October 2026, and replaces the Enforcement Law of 1433H (Article 65). This guide is based on the law in force today. A separate section explains what changes.

Is your document an executive instrument?

Article 9 of the Enforcement Law allows forced enforcement only with an executive instrument for a fixed amount that is due. The instruments people deal with most are:

• Judgments, decisions and orders issued by the courts.
• Arbitral awards with an enforcement order attached.
• Settlement records issued by authorised bodies or certified by the courts.
• Commercial papers: cheques, promissory notes and bills of exchange.
• Notarised contracts and documents.
• Ordinary documents in which the debtor admits that all or part of the amount is owed.

WhatsApp messages and transfer receipts are not on this list. They are evidence to prove your debt in a lawsuit, and after the judgment you come back to enforcement. Also be careful with a judgment that can still be appealed. Article 10 prevents forced enforcement while an objection is still possible, unless the judgment carries expedited enforcement (nafadh mu'ajjal).

What happens if you file an unnotarised contract or an ordinary document?

Article 15 deals with this. The person to whom the document is attributed is summoned. If he admits the right, the enforcement judge records the admission and the document becomes an executive instrument. If he denies all or part of the right, he signs a statement of the reason for his objection. The document remains an instrument for the part he did not object to, and you file a lawsuit for the rest before the competent court.

The Implementing Regulations give more detail. You are the one who must serve the debtor with the summons, and if he does not attend, the request is archived (paragraph 15/1). If he admits the debt but says it is deferred or that you released him, the document is not treated as an executive instrument (paragraph 15/2). A commercial paper that fails one of its validity conditions is treated the same way (paragraph 9/4). So if your debtor denies the debt from the start, a lawsuit may be the shorter route.

What should you prepare before opening the request on Najiz?

The Ministry of Justice offers the "submit enforcement request" service electronically through Najiz for the applicant, his agent, or a representative of a legal entity. The conditions on the official service page include:

• An active IBAN linked to the applicant's name and ID number. Collected money is transferred to it.
• A valid power of attorney that includes authority to request enforcement and to make admissions, if an agent files the request.
• The instrument and the documents required for its type.

Paragraph 34/2 of the regulations sets the request details: the parties' details, the instrument's number, date and issuing body, and the amount. If details are missing, the applicant has thirty days to complete them, or the request is archived (paragraph 34/4). Unrelated instruments may not be combined in one request (paragraph 34/6). If you hold separate instruments, each needs its own request.

How much should you claim if you have received part of the amount?

You were awarded SAR 50,000. Then the debtor transferred SAR 15,000 to you, with the description "payment towards the judgment amount".

You request enforcement of SAR 35,000 and mention the earlier payment and its proof.

If you request the full SAR 50,000, the debtor can raise the defence of payment before the enforcement judge, which falls within his jurisdiction under the regulations (paragraph 3/3). You lose time and credibility.

Do not add compensation for delay or amounts the instrument did not award. An enforcement request is limited to what the instrument says, and any other claim has its own route. The regulations (paragraph 95/2) do not allow the creditor to be compensated by increasing the debt in return for late payment.

After filing: from the request to the enforcement order

Under Article 34, the enforcement judge checks the instrument. For judgments, arbitral awards and settlement records, he checks for the enforcement formula. On other instruments, he places the stamp "instrument for enforcement". He then immediately issues an enforcement order, which is served on the debtor with a copy of the instrument. This is what people call "Decision 34".

If the debtor cannot be served within twenty days of the order, notice is published. From the date of service or publication a five-day period starts. If it passes without payment or disclosure of sufficient assets, the debtor is treated as a defaulter and the Article 46 measures are issued, including a travel ban and seizure of assets.

Distinguish three stages: registration of the request, issue of the enforcement order, and money reaching your account. Each has its own status on Najiz. Acceptance of the request alone does not mean the money is on its way.

What changes under the new Enforcement Law?

The new law reorganises this stage. Its main provisions here are:

• Executive instruments (Article 7): bills of exchange and promissory notes are executive instruments only if registered on the national electronic platforms. Contracts and acknowledgements must be notarised under the Notarization Law. Cheques remain on the list. Ordinary documents admitted by the debtor are not on it.
• Age of the instrument (Article 11): an enforcement request is not accepted for an instrument whose due date passed more than ten years ago, without prejudice to other relevant legal provisions.
• Notice before registration (Article 12): the regulations will set the cases in which the creditor must notify the debtor to pay before the request is registered.
• Completing missing items (Article 13): if the request is not registered because requirements are missing, you have ten working days to complete it, or it is treated as rejected. You may file a grievance within ten working days.
• Enforcement order (Article 14): if service is not possible, the order is announced by a suitable means, and service takes effect from the date of the announcement.

The Royal Decree issuing the law (M/237) includes transitional rules. Judgments, orders and decisions issued before it takes effect remain valid (Clause Two). Bills of exchange and promissory notes issued before it takes effect and meeting their conditions remain executive instruments for one year after it takes effect, even if not registered on the electronic platforms (Clause Five). Unnotarised contracts and ordinary documents are not covered by this exception. If you hold one, review its status before the new law takes effect.

This is general information based on the official Arabic texts of Saudi laws, which prevail over any translation. It is not legal advice for your specific case.

Practical solutions for both sides

If you are the party requesting enforcement:

• Make sure your document is on the Article 9 list. If it is a judgment, make sure it can no longer be appealed or carries expedited enforcement.
• Calculate the balance after deducting every payment you received, and attach a statement of the payments.
• Prepare an IBAN in your name, and a power of attorney with authority to request enforcement and make admissions if you use an agent.
• Follow Najiz notifications and complete any missing items within the deadline so the request is not archived.
• If your document is an ordinary one and the debtor denies the debt, weigh an enforcement request against filing a lawsuit directly.

If you are the party enforcement is against:

• Read the enforcement order and the attached instrument, and check the amount and the parties.
• Count the deadline from the date you were served. After five days the Article 46 measures start.
• If you paid part, collect the proof and link it to the same instrument.
• If your objection is about the validity of the instrument or the conditions for enforcing it, file it as an enforcement dispute before the enforcement judge with your documents.
• If you cannot pay in full, offer the creditor a written settlement before the measures build up.

If you are not sure your document can be enforced, send a copy with a summary of what has been paid on WhatsApp and we will review it with you before you file.