Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Minister of Justice Dr. Walid Al-Samaani said on Sunday that specialized legislation has significantly reduced litigation time and increased legal certainty and predictability of judicial rulings, with indicators showing improvements exceeding 70%.

Speaking at a press conference in Riyadh, he said work is underway to complete the regulatory procedures for the Penal Code.

He noted that Saudi Arabia is undergoing a major legislative transformation that has served as a tool to raise quality, with specialized laws forming the core of this shift, including the Civil Transactions Law, Personal Status Law and Evidence Law.

Al-Samaani said these laws have enabled courts to reduce the scope of judicial discretion and improve the quality of outcomes. As a result, beneficiary satisfaction rose to 92% this year, compared to 78% in 2022.

He added that this legislative transformation aligns with Vision 2030, which encompasses development across all sectors, including reforms to strengthen the efficiency and clarity of the judicial system.

To ensure optimal implementation of the legislative framework, the minister said the Ministry of Justice focused on specialized training programs, including the advanced diplomas in criminal and civil law.

More than 2,000 judges received training across various disciplines, while over 11,000 trainees participated in legal and advocacy-related programs.

Al-Samaani revealed the establishment of a Claim Review Center, a Claim Preparation Center and technical offices within the courts.

More than 700 Saudi legal researchers work across these entities.

He said the Claim Review Center is dedicated to improving the quality of electronic statements of claim and has processed more than 5 million e-claims since its launch.

He added that real estate e-transfers are now completed instantly, and more than 200 million real estate documents have been digitized, with a processing capacity of up to 300,000 documents per day.

He also noted the expansion of verified electronic contracts, including the unified employment contract, with more than 140,000 employment contracts authenticated.

The minister highlighted the launch of the virtual enforcement court, which processes enforcement requests entirely online without human intervention.

The processing period has been reduced to five days, and more than 400,000 enforcement requests were completed this year.