If a court has ruled that you are owed money, or that you owe it, the rules changed on Thursday, 29 October 2026. The Kingdom's new Enforcement Law and its implementing regulations took effect that day, in what Justice Minister Dr Walid Al-Samaani described as a major step in developing the enforcement system.
For creditors, the promise is speed and reach. The law brings better tools for disclosing and tracing assets and for enforcing claims against them, with the stated aim of strengthening confidence in financial dealings and getting rights honoured faster.
For debtors, the emphasis shifts. Enforcement is directed at assets rather than individuals, legal safeguards remain in place, and the humanitarian and social circumstances of debtors and their families are to be taken into account.
Families are covered too: court decisions on alimony, custody of children and visitation now fall under the same law. Businesses should note a requirement to register bills of exchange and promissory notes on approved electronic platforms.
The implementing regulations run to 54 articles, approved by the minister and published in the official gazette Umm Al-Qura under Royal Decree M/237. They set out procedures, deadlines and safeguards, and specify which orders and decisions can be challenged through formal objections. Rulings and orders issued before the new law took effect remain valid under the rules that governed them.
The ministry links the change to wider judicial reform, including more use of data and modern technologies such as artificial intelligence, in line with Vision 2030.
