You bought a car on lease-to-own (ijara ending in ownership) from a finance company and paid for three years. When you asked to settle early, the company demanded SAR 18,000 more than your schedule shows and refused to explain. Your bank has nothing to do with it, and the general court is not the right place. So where do you go?
The direct answer: a dispute with a licensed finance company or a finance lessor goes to the Committee for the Resolution of Finance Violations and Disputes, and its decisions can be appealed to an Appeal Committee whose decisions are final (Item 3 of Royal Decree M/51 of 1433H, which issued the Finance Companies Control Law). The committee does not hear disputes whose subject is a right in rem over real estate; those go to the general court. A claim cannot be heard after five years from the due date or from when you learned of the facts, unless you have an excuse, and an objection to a decision must be filed within 30 days.
What does the Finance Disputes Committee hear?
Item 3 of the decree created the committee, and its work rules set out its jurisdiction (Article 2(1)):
- Violations, disputes and public- and private-right claims arising under the Finance Companies Control Law, the Finance Lease Law, their implementing regulations and related rules.
- Disputes arising from real estate finance contracts between beneficiaries and real estate financiers.
- Grievances against decisions of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) under the Finance Companies Control Law, the Finance Lease Law and the Real Estate Finance Law.
It can summon witnesses, order evidence and documents, and impose penalties. A "finance company" means a company licensed for finance activity under the Finance Companies Control Law (Article 1).
What is excluded, and what about real estate finance?
- Disputes from real estate finance contracts and finance lease contracts where the subject is a right in rem over real estate, such as ownership or mortgage of the house (Item 3(2)(a) and Article 2(2)(a) of the rules).
- Securities disputes arising from finance activity (Item 3(2)(b)).
- Finance from a bank, such as a personal loan or credit card: the Banking Disputes Committee hears it.
Claims about real estate, including disputes over ownership or a connected right, belong to the general courts (Article 31(a) of the Law of Procedure before Sharia Courts). Press reports in 2022 said that the conflict-of-jurisdiction committee of the Supreme Judicial Council sent such a case to the general court because it concerned a right in rem. A purely financial dispute under a real estate finance contract with a finance company, such as wrong fees or an inflated settlement figure, falls within the committee's jurisdiction under its rules. Note that the Real Estate Finance Law itself refers disputes to "the competent court" (Article 13), so the practical test is the subject of the dispute: money, or a right over the property.
For finance leases, repossession of a movable asset such as a car is supervised by companies licensed by the Ministry of Justice, while for a fixed asset the lessor asks the competent court, which decides within 30 days (Article 25 of the Finance Lease Law).
Who can file, and where?
Anyone with standing or an interest, or their representative, files a statement of claim that meets the requirements of the Law of Procedure before Sharia Courts; it can be filed electronically through the General Secretariat's channels (Article 5). The competent circuit is the one covering the claimant's residence if the finance company is the defendant, and the defendant's residence if the company is the claimant (territorial jurisdiction rules, Item 3). Circuits sit in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam with the same regional split as the banking committee.
The address in your contract with the finance company is treated as your address for notices, unless you choose another one and inform the Secretariat (Article 11). All means of proof are accepted, including SMS, recorded calls and email (Article 19).
Which deadlines matter?
| Step | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Filing a claim | Five years from the due date or from learning of the facts, unless the committee accepts an excuse | Item 3(7); Article 21 of the rules |
| Grievance against a SAMA decision | 60 days from notification; filing does not suspend the decision unless the committee decides otherwise | Item 3(1)(b); Article 35 of the rules |
| Objection to the committee's decision | 30 days from notification, otherwise the decision becomes final | Item 3(4); Article 28 of the rules |
| Resuming a struck-off case | 30 days from the strike-off | Article 15 of the rules |
The objection period for each party runs from receiving a copy of the decision and signing the record, or from the date set for collection if he does not attend; official Eid holidays are not counted (Articles 28 and 31). Decisions of the Appeal Committee are final and cannot be challenged before any other body (Item 3(6) and Article 36).
In the car example, the lessee asked the company for a detailed settlement statement and was refused. He complained to the company, then to SAMA, then filed with the committee's circuit in his region asking that the settlement follow the early-repayment formula that must be disclosed before signing (Article 33 of the Finance Companies Control Law).
If the dispute were instead about a house on a finance lease and the lessee wanted ownership transferred to his name, the subject would be a right in rem over real estate, and the general court would hear it.
How is a Finance Disputes Committee decision enforced?
The circuit may order provisional enforcement in defined cases (Article 24), and the Appeal Committee may stop it on the losing party's request (Article 32). If a finance company refuses to carry out a final decision, the Secretariat notifies SAMA to act (Article 34). The winning party may also apply to the Enforcement Court: Royal Decree M/237 made enforcement courts responsible for enforcing quasi-judicial committee decisions under the new Enforcement Law, in force around 28 October 2026 (Item 4).
Practical steps for both sides
If you are the customer or lessee:
- Ask the company for a detailed statement and the early-repayment formula disclosed in your contract.
- Decide whether your dispute is about money or about ownership of real estate; this decides the forum.
- If SAMA issued a decision against you as an interested party, file a grievance within 60 days.
- Do not let the objection period pass; after 30 days the decision is final.
If you are a finance company or lessor:
- Sue the customer in the circuit of his residence.
- Repossess movable assets only through licensed companies, and real estate only through the court.
- Keep proof that you disclosed the early-repayment formula before signing; it is the first thing you will be asked for.
- Carry out final decisions; refusal is reported to SAMA.
If you are not sure whether your dispute with a finance company belongs to the committee or the court, send us the contract, the instalment statement and your correspondence on WhatsApp and we will help you identify the forum and the requests.
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.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Finance Disputes Committee the same as the Banking Disputes Committee?
No. The first is for finance companies and finance leases, the second for banks. One General Secretariat runs both, and each has its own Appeal Committee.
My home finance is with a finance company. Does the dispute go to the committee?
If it is a financial dispute under the contract, the committee hears it (Article 2(1)(b) of the rules). If the subject is a right in rem over the property, such as ownership or mortgage, the general court hears it (Item 3(2)(a)).
How long do I have to object to a Finance Disputes Committee decision?
30 days from notification, otherwise the decision becomes final (Item 3(4)). The Appeal Committee's decision is final.
SAMA issued a decision against my company. Where do I file a grievance?
With the Finance Disputes Committee within 60 days of notification; filing does not suspend the decision unless the committee orders it (Article 35 of the rules).
Five years have passed since the dispute. Have I lost my right?
The claim cannot be heard after five years from the due date or from learning of the facts, unless you show an excuse the committee accepts (Item 3(7)).
General information, not legal advice. The official Arabic texts of Saudi laws prevail over any translation. Disclaimer