Recovering an unpaid invoice from a Saudi company
If a Saudi company will not pay your invoice, debt collection in Saudi Arabia usually starts with a written demand and negotiation, then a court claim. With a judgment, a cheque or another document the Enforcement Court accepts, you can often enforce directly. A Saudi lawyer can usually act for you from abroad; your documents and contract decide the route.
Published by RAED ALI ALJOHANI COMPANY FOR Lawyership and Legal Consultations · Last updated
General information about Saudi law — not advice on your situation.
At a glance
- Who this is for
- Exporters, suppliers and service providers outside Saudi Arabia who are owed money by a Saudi company. If the money is owed on a building or other project, see unpaid on a Saudi project.
- Can it be handled from outside Saudi Arabia?
- Yes. In most cases, through a Saudi lawyer acting under a power of attorney that you sign in your own country.
- What usually decides the route
- Whether you hold a document the Enforcement Court can act on directly, such as a judgment or a cheque, and what your contract says about disputes.
- What you usually need first
- A short outline: who owes you, roughly how much, and what you hold. No documents yet.
- First step with us
- Send that outline by WhatsApp, a call or email.
- Working languages
- Arabic and English
Tell us what you have — invoice, contract, the last emails — but don’t send them yet. We’ll tell you the likely route.
Saudi Arabia’s new Enforcement Law applies from 28 October 2026. It changes what creditors (people and companies who are owed money) can do. See what the new Enforcement Law changes for creditors.
Can you recover an unpaid invoice from a Saudi company without travelling to Saudi Arabia?
Usually, yes. A Saudi lawyer can act for you under a power of attorney that you sign in your own country. You get it stamped there, and most court hearings in Saudi Arabia take place electronically.
A power of attorney is a signed document that lets someone, such as a lawyer, act in your name. Our page on signing a power of attorney for Saudi Arabia abroad explains each step. It usually needs an apostille or legalisation, the official stamps that let Saudi offices accept it. To see which one your country uses, check apostille or legalisation: documents for Saudi Arabia by country.
Court work in Saudi Arabia is done in Arabic, so documents in another language usually need a certified translation.
According to the Ministry of Justice, claims are filed on Najiz, its online platform for cases. To sign in, Najiz uses Nafath, the Saudi government’s login app. Nafath needs a Saudi digital identity, linked to an ID issued in Saudi Arabia. So a creditor abroad usually acts through a lawyer. If any step needs someone in person, we tell you early.
What should you do first when a Saudi customer stops paying?
Keep every contact in writing, gather your documents and send a clear written demand for payment. Do not sign new terms or accept less as full settlement before you take advice. Either step can change what you can claim later.
If the customer goes quiet, move to writing only, and keep every email and chat message. Collect what shows the debt: the order, the invoices, the delivery proof, and any message in which the customer accepts it. Check your contract for a clause on disputes, because it can decide where a claim goes.
Note the company’s exact legal name. If you have it, also note its commercial registration (CR) number, the number of its entry in the Saudi commercial register.
Then send a written demand that states the amount, the invoices and a date for payment. A Saudi lawyer can send it for you in Arabic, the language of the Saudi courts.
Do you hold a document you can enforce directly in Saudi Arabia?
Check this first, because it decides the route. Some documents let you go straight to the Enforcement Court without a new lawsuit. An invoice on its own is not one of them.
An enforcement instrument is a document that can be enforced without a new judgment. The Enforcement Court is the court that enforces judgments and other enforceable documents.
- You may hold one if you have a judgment or an arbitration award against the company, a cheque from it, or a promissory note (a signed, written promise to pay). Your lawyer can then ask the Enforcement Court to act on it.
- You probably do not if you have only invoices, a contract or purchase order, and emails. Then a court claim usually comes first, or arbitration if your contract says so.
The new Enforcement Law changes how promissory notes are treated, including the role of the Nafith platform. Our page on promissory notes, cheques and the Nafith platform explains this. Our guide to enforcement instruments lists the documents that count.
Can an unpaid invoice be settled without going to court in Saudi Arabia?
Yes, it can. A demand letter, negotiation or mediation can end the matter without a court claim, if the company agrees to pay.
A lawyer’s demand letter also creates a written record of the debt and of your request. If talks lead to a payment plan, put it in a signed document that lists each amount and date. Ask us whether the plan should be backed by a document you can enforce directly.
In mediation, a neutral person helps both sides reach an agreement. Taradhi is the Ministry of Justice’s online reconciliation (mediation) platform. The Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) also runs commercial mediation, as its own site describes. We tell you whether either fits your dispute.
How do you bring a claim against a company in Saudi Arabia?
A Saudi lawyer files the claim for you, usually in the commercial courts. The claim is filed electronically, through Najiz, and the court works in Arabic. You usually do not need to travel for it.
The commercial courts hear commercial disputes between businesses. Your lawyer prepares the claim in Arabic, with the documents that prove the debt. Saudi courts run most hearings electronically, for example by video. Your lawyer attends them and tells you what each stage means.
A government fee may apply; the official page has the details. Our own fees are agreed in writing before any work starts. See how legal fees work in Saudi Arabia.
If the court decides in your favour and the company still does not pay, the judgment can go to the Enforcement Court.
If you are owed money on a building or other project, see unpaid on a Saudi project. If the debtor is a Saudi government body, a separate route applies. It usually goes through the Board of Grievances, which hears disputes with government bodies.
What if your contract with the Saudi company names arbitration or another country’s courts?
Then the route may change. A dispute clause can send your claim to arbitration, or to courts outside Saudi Arabia. We read the clause first, before any step is taken.
Arbitration is a private process in which an arbitrator, not a judge, decides the dispute. The decision is called an award. The SCCA runs commercial arbitration in Saudi Arabia, but some contracts name a centre in another country. Saudi Arabia is a party to the New York Convention, the treaty on enforcing foreign arbitration awards.
If you already hold a judgment from a court outside Saudi Arabia, the Saudi court checks it before it orders enforcement. Our page on enforcing a foreign court judgment in Saudi Arabia explains how.
If both arbitration and a court claim are open to you, the choice depends on the clause, the cost and where the company’s assets are. We explain the options for your contract.
How does debt collection from a Saudi company work, step by step?
Debt collection from a Saudi company usually follows 7 steps. You send us an outline, sign an engagement letter and sign a power of attorney in your own country. Then you send the documents we ask for, and we send a formal demand in Arabic. Next come talks or mediation, and then a court claim or an enforcement request. The steps do not always run in this order. A matter can end at any step if the company pays or a settlement is signed.
- Send us a short outline. Tell us who owes you, roughly how much, and what you hold. Don’t send documents yet.
- Sign the engagement letter. It is the written agreement between you and the firm, and work starts only after it is signed. See how we work with clients outside Saudi Arabia.
- Sign a power of attorney. You sign it in your own country and get it stamped there. Where a lawyer helps: we draft wording that covers the claim and any enforcement.
- Send the documents we ask for. We tell you which ones need a certified Arabic translation.
- Send a formal demand. We write to the company in Arabic, set out the debt and ask for payment.
- Negotiate or mediate. If the company replies, we discuss payment or a settlement, and put any agreement in writing.
- File a claim or an enforcement request. If the debt stays unpaid, we take the step that fits your documents. Where a lawyer helps: we follow the file and explain each stage.
Which route fits an unpaid invoice from a Saudi company?
The route depends mainly on the documents you hold and on your contract’s dispute clause. This table compares the usual routes. It does not rank them.
| Route | Usually fits when | What you usually need | More detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negotiate or mediate | The company accepts the debt, or part of it, and will talk | Your invoices and messages; a signed settlement if you agree one | Settling without court |
| Claim in the commercial courts | You hold invoices, an order and emails, but no enforcement instrument | Proof of the order, delivery and debt; a power of attorney; translations | Bringing a claim |
| Direct enforcement at the Enforcement Court | You hold a judgment, an award, a cheque or another enforcement instrument | The enforcement instrument and a power of attorney | Enforcement instruments explained |
| Arbitration | Your contract sends disputes to arbitration | The contract with its arbitration clause, and proof of the debt | If your contract names arbitration |
What to prepare before you contact us
Gather as many of these as you can. You do not need all of them to send us an outline.
- the contract or purchase order, and any terms and conditions;
- the invoices;
- delivery proof, such as a bill of lading (the shipping document for goods sent by sea), delivery notes or emails accepting the goods or work;
- account statements that show what was paid and what is still owed;
- emails or messages in which the customer accepts the debt or promises to pay;
- the Saudi company’s exact name and its CR number, if you have it;
- any cheque or promissory note the company gave you;
- a short note of what you have already tried, and when.
Keep them ready; we tell you which ones to send after we agree to act.
Frequently asked questions
We only have a purchase order, not a signed contract. Can we still claim in Saudi Arabia?
Often, yes. A purchase order, invoices, delivery records and emails can together show that the debt exists. A lawyer reviews them to judge whether they are enough for a claim.
Will a Saudi court hear our claim if the contract does not say where disputes go?
Usually, a claim against a company based in Saudi Arabia can be brought in the Saudi courts. But every contract and set of documents is different, so we check yours first.
Should we send a demand letter before going to court in Saudi Arabia?
Usually, yes. A clear written demand often comes first. It records the debt and your request for payment, and it gives the company a chance to pay or settle.
Do our invoices and contract need to be translated into Arabic?
Usually, yes. Saudi courts work in Arabic, so they usually need a certified translation. Ask us before you pay for one. We tell you which documents need it and where to have it done.
Is it too late to claim an old unpaid invoice in Saudi Arabia?
Not always, but time matters. Older debts can be harder to prove, and time limits may apply. So talk to a lawyer as early as you can.
Official sources
This page draws on 4 official sources. Each line shows who publishes it, its language and, where recorded, the date we last checked it.
- Ministry of Justice · Najiz (Ministry of Justice e-services) (in Arabic) · checked
- Ministry of Justice · Taradhi (Ministry of Justice e-reconciliation) (in Arabic) · checked
- Ministry of Justice · Ministry of Justice (in English) · checked
- Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration · Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (in English) · checked
What usually comes next
General information about Saudi law, not advice on your situation. Contacting us does not create a lawyer–client relationship until an engagement letter is signed.