Glosario de términos jurídicos y oficiales de Arabia Saudita
Este glosario explica, en palabras sencillas, los términos jurídicos, las plataformas públicas y los organismos oficiales de Arabia Saudita que más encuentran las empresas y los particulares extranjeros. Cada entrada da un significado breve y, cuando existe, un enlace a la página oficial. Algunos términos tienen además su propia página, con más detalle para extranjeros.
Publicado por RAED ALI ALJOHANI COMPANY FOR Lawyership and Legal Consultations · Actualizado el
Información general sobre el derecho saudí, no asesoramiento sobre su situación.
Si un término de esta página forma parte de su propio asunto, envíenos un breve resumen.
¿Qué términos saudíes tienen su propia página en este glosario?
Once términos tienen su propia página, porque los extranjeros los encuentran a menudo y una línea no basta. Cada página explica por qué el término le importa y dónde lo encontrará.
- Identidad y viajes
El permiso de residencia, con su propio número de identificación, de un extranjero que vive en Arabia Saudita.
Iqama - Identidad y viajes
La plataforma y aplicación en línea del Ministerio del Interior para trámites de identidad y visados.
Absher - Identidad y viajes
La plataforma en línea del Ministerio de Justicia para procesos judiciales, expedientes de ejecución y poderes.
Najiz - Documentos
Un documento firmado que permite a otra persona, por ejemplo un abogado, actuar en su nombre.
Poder - Documentos
Un certificado que confirma la firma y el sello de un documento público.
Apostilla - Deudas y cobros
El tribunal saudí que ejecuta las sentencias y otros documentos ejecutables, como un cheque.
Tribunal de Ejecución - Deudas y cobros
Una promesa escrita y firmada de pagar dinero a alguien.
Pagaré - Empresas
La inscripción de una empresa en el registro mercantil saudí, que lleva el Ministerio de Comercio.
Registro comercial (CR) - Empresas
El registro ante el Ministerio de Inversión que sustituyó a la licencia de inversión extranjera en 2025.
Registro de la inversión - Abogados
El organismo profesional de los abogados en Arabia Saudita, con un directorio en línea para comprobar licencias.
Colegio de Abogados de Arabia Saudita - Inmuebles
El portal en línea de la Autoridad General de Bienes Inmuebles donde los no saudíes solicitan la propiedad de inmuebles.
Plataforma Saudi Properties
Todos los demás términos se explican en la lista completa que aparece más abajo. Cada entrada tiene su propio enlace, así que puede compartir el significado de un solo término.
¿Por qué los términos saudíes se escriben de varias formas en inglés?
Las palabras árabes pueden escribirse con letras latinas de más de una forma. Por eso, el mismo término puede aparecer como iqama o iqamah, o como wakala o wakalah. Si no encuentra una palabra aquí, pruebe otra grafía o busque la palabra en árabe.
Lo mismo ocurre con su propio nombre, en sentido contrario: puede escribirse en árabe de más de una forma. Un documento en otro idioma suele necesitar una traducción certificada al árabe, es decir, una traducción hecha por una oficina de traducción autorizada. Pida al traductor que use la misma grafía árabe de su nombre en todos los documentos.
¿Cómo debe utilizar los significados de este glosario?
Utilícelos para entender lo que lee en las páginas y los documentos oficiales saudíes. Estos significados son generales, no definiciones legales. La página oficial enlazada en cada entrada recoge las normas vigentes.
Un significado le dice a qué se refiere una palabra. No le dice cómo se aplica una norma a su propio asunto. Para saber cómo funciona un proceso paso a paso, consulte nuestras guías sobre el derecho y los procedimientos saudíes. Para los documentos de su propio país, consulte apostilla o legalización, país por país. Para los cambios fechados en la ley saudí que afectan a los extranjeros, consulte Novedades.
Todos los términos
A B C D E F G I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z
A
- Absent from work (formerly "huroob")
- A status an employer can report when a worker is absent without a valid reason. It affects the worker's residency and the ability to change jobs. Official page
- Absher
- The Ministry of Interior's e-services platform for residents and citizens, used for IDs, visas and some status enquiries. Official page
- Amicable settlement (labour disputes)
- The stage before court where a labour dispute is first referred for settlement. Official page
- Anti-concealment (tasattur)
- Rules against a non-Saudi running a business under a Saudi national's name. Official page
- Apostille
- A certificate that authenticates a public document for use in other countries that are party to the Apostille Convention. Saudi Arabia joined with effect from 7 December 2022. Official page
- Articles of association
- A company's founding document, authenticated electronically when the company is formed. Official page
- Available and restricted activities
- The two registration tracks at the Ministry of Investment. Restricted activities need extra conditions or approvals, which the ministry publishes. Official page
B
- Balady
- The municipal platform for licences for business premises. Official page
- Bankruptcy Commission
- The body that oversees bankruptcy procedures and publishes their notices. Official page
- Beneficial owner
- The person who ultimately owns or controls a company. Companies have to disclose who this is. Official page
- Board of Grievances
- The administrative judiciary, which hears disputes with government bodies. Official page
C
- Capital Market Authority (CMA)
- The regulator of the Saudi securities market. Official page
- Certified translation
- A translation made by an accredited translation office. Courts and many authorities usually need one.
- Chamber of commerce membership
- Registration with a chamber of commerce, which businesses normally complete after commercial registration. Official page
- Commercial Agencies Register
- The Ministry of Commerce register for commercial agency and distribution agreements. Official page
- Commercial courts
- Courts that hear commercial disputes between businesses. Official page
- Commercial registration (CR)
- A business's entry in the commercial register kept by the Ministry of Commerce. It must be kept up to date. Official page
D
- Deportation
- Removal of a non-Saudi from the Kingdom by the authorities, sometimes after a court sentence or a residency violation.
- Designated zones
- The areas where non-Saudis may own property, set by the Council of Ministers on REGA's proposal. Some areas have special rules; REGA's official map shows them. Official page
- Digital identity for non-residents
- A Ministry of Interior digital ID issued through Saudi missions abroad, which non-residents use to access the Saudi Properties platform. The platform shows the current steps.
E
- E-invoicing (Fatoora)
- ZATCA's electronic invoicing regime for businesses. Official page
- Ejar
- REGA's platform for registering leases. Official page
- End-of-service award
- A payment due to a worker when employment ends, worked out under the Labour Law. Official page
- Enforcement Court
- The court that enforces judgments and other enforceable documents. Official page
- Enforcement instrument
- A document that can be enforced without a new judgment, such as a court judgment, an arbitral award or a cheque. Official page
- Enjaz
- The payment and processing system used at Saudi missions abroad for services such as document ratification. Official page
- Etimad
- The government's platform for public procurement and payments to suppliers. Official page
- Exit and re-entry visa
- Permission a resident needs to leave Saudi Arabia and come back while the iqama remains valid. Official page
F
- FAL licence
- REGA's licence for real-estate brokers. Check a broker's licence before you pay anything. Official page
- Final exit visa
- Permission a resident needs to leave Saudi Arabia for good. It is usually issued through the employer. Official page
- Foreign law firm licence
- A Ministry of Justice licence for foreign law firms. A foreign firm's branch gives advice on Saudi law only through a Saudi-licensed lawyer. Official page
G
- GOSI
- The General Organization for Social Insurance, which collects social-insurance contributions for employees. Official page
I
- Invest Saudi portal
- The Ministry of Investment's online platform where foreign investors apply for investment registration. Official page
- Investment registration
- The registration that replaced the foreign-investment licence in 2025. The registration certificate is issued in Arabic. Official page
- Iqama
- The residence permit, and its ID number, held by a non-Saudi living in the Kingdom. Most government e-services ask for it. Official page
J
- Judicial aid (volunteer legal aid)
- The Saudi Bar Association's list of lawyers who volunteer legal help for people who cannot pay. Official page
K
- KSA Visa platform
- The unified official platform for Saudi visas, alongside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa platform. Official page
L
- Labour court
- A specialised court that hears employment disputes. Official page
- LCGPA
- The Local Content and Government Procurement Authority. Official page
- Legal establishment
- The licensed entity through which lawyers practise, either a sole office or a professional company. The Saudi Bar Association offers a public check. Official page
- Legalisation (ratification)
- The chain of stamps a document needs when the country concerned is outside the Apostille Convention. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls its service "document ratification". Official page
M
- "MISA licence"
- The common name for the foreign-investment licence used before 2025. Foreign investors now register their investment instead. Official page
- Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD)
- The ministry that regulates private-sector employment in Saudi Arabia. Official page
- Ministry of Investment (MISA)
- The ministry that registers foreign investment in Saudi Arabia and supports investors. Official page
- Ministry of Justice (MOJ)
- The ministry that runs the administration of the courts, notaries and enforcement services. Official page
- MOJ legal portal
- The Ministry of Justice portal that publishes Saudi laws and regulations. Official page
- Mudad
- The wage-payment platform employers use to show they pay wages as the wage-protection rules require. Official page
- Muqeem
- The Ministry of Interior platform that employers use to manage the residency and visas of their expatriate staff. Official page
- Musaned
- The platform for recruiting and contracting domestic workers. Official page
N
- Nafith
- The national electronic platform for promissory notes. Official page
- Najiz
- The Ministry of Justice's e-platform for cases, enforcement, powers of attorney, notarial services and verification services. Official page
- Najm
- The company that handles traffic-accident reports for insured vehicles. Official page
- National Address
- The official address record run by Saudi Post. Companies and residents register one. Official page
- National Single Sign-On (Nafath)
- The national digital login. The Nafath app approves sign-ins to Najiz and most other government portals. Official page
- New York Convention
- The international treaty on recognising and enforcing foreign arbitral awards. Saudi Arabia is a party.
- Nitaqat (Saudization)
- The programme that rates companies by their share of Saudi employees. The rating affects access to visas and government services. Official page
- Non-Saudi legal consultant
- A foreign-qualified lawyer registered with the Ministry of Justice who may advise within a licensed firm but cannot appear in court. Official page
- Notary
- An official who authenticates documents and powers of attorney in Saudi Arabia. There are Ministry of Justice notaries and licensed private notaries. Official page
O
- Off-plan sales (Wafi)
- REGA's programme and licensing for selling or leasing property before it is completed. Official page
P
- Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and SDAIA
- Saudi Arabia's personal data protection law and its regulator, the Saudi Data and AI Authority. Official page
- Power of attorney (wakala)
- A document that authorises someone, such as a lawyer, to act for you. One given abroad usually has to be certified before Saudi bodies accept it. Official page
- Promissory note
- A signed, written promise to pay. The new Enforcement Law changes how promissory notes are enforced, including the role of the Nafith platform; the official text has the current rules. Official page
- Public Prosecution
- The authority that investigates and prosecutes crimes. Official page
Q
- Qiwa
- The labour ministry's platform for employment contracts, work permits, job transfers and Saudization. Official page
R
- Real Estate General Authority (REGA)
- The authority that regulates the real-estate sector in Saudi Arabia. Official page
- Real Estate Registry
- The national register of property rights. Official page
- Real Estate Transaction Tax (RETT)
- A tax on property transfers, administered by ZATCA. Official page
- Regional headquarters (RHQ)
- The Ministry of Investment's programme for companies' regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia. RHQ status matters for many government contracts. Official page
S
- Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP)
- The authority responsible for trademarks, patents and copyright in Saudi Arabia. Official page
- Saudi Bar Association (SBA)
- The professional body for lawyers in Saudi Arabia. Official page
- Saudi Business Center
- The government platform where applications for company formation and commercial registration are filed. Official page
- Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA)
- The centre that administers commercial arbitration and mediation in Saudi Arabia. Official page
- Saudi Properties platform
- REGA's platform for non-Saudi property ownership: applications, payments and deeds. Official page
- SBA lawyers directory (Sharik)
- The Saudi Bar Association's public directory, which shows each lawyer's licence number, licence status and expiry date. No login is needed. Official page
- Special economic zones
- Zones with their own legal frameworks and incentives, overseen by the Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority (ECZA). Official page
T
- Taradhi
- The Ministry of Justice's electronic reconciliation (mediation) platform. Official page
- Tawakkalna
- The government's all-in-one services app, run by the Saudi Data and AI Authority. It gives access to many services, including the Ministry of Justice directory of practising lawyers. Official page
- Trade name
- A business's registered name. The Ministry of Commerce publishes the current naming rules. Official page
- Transfer of services
- Moving a worker's employment to a new employer through the labour platform. Expats often call it "naql kafala". Official page
U
- Umm Al-Qura
- The Official Gazette, where Saudi laws are published. Official page
- Unified number
- The unified national identifier for an establishment, often called the "700 number". Official page
V
- VAT
- Value added tax, administered by ZATCA. Official page
W
- Wathq
- The Ministry of Commerce platform for verified commercial data about registered businesses. Official page
- Work-permit skill levels
- The classification of expatriate work permits by skill level. Qiwa and the labour ministry publish the current categories. Official page
Z
- Zakat
- A levy administered by ZATCA on the Saudi- and GCC-owned share of a business. Foreign-owned shares are generally subject to income tax instead. Official page
- ZATCA
- The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority. Official page
Preguntas frecuentes
¿Son estas las definiciones legales de los términos?
No. Son significados breves y generales, en palabras sencillas, para ayudarle a entender lo que lee. El significado exacto de un término lo da la ley saudí o el organismo oficial que lo utiliza. Cuando una entrada enlaza una página oficial, esa página recoge las normas vigentes.
Fuente: Glosario de términos jurídicos y oficiales de Arabia Saudita
¿Y si el término que busco no está en el glosario?
El glosario recoge los términos que más encuentran las empresas y los particulares extranjeros, así que algunas palabras no están. Pruebe primero otra grafía en inglés o la palabra en árabe. Si el término aparece en su propio asunto, envíenos un breve resumen que lo mencione. Todavía no nos envíe documentos.
Fuente: Glosario de términos jurídicos y oficiales de Arabia Saudita
¿Cambian estos significados cuando cambia la ley saudí?
A veces. Una nueva ley puede cambiar lo que abarca un término, o sustituir un término antiguo por otro nuevo. Por ejemplo, el registro de la inversión sustituyó en 2025 a la licencia de inversión extranjera, como explica nuestra guía sobre qué significa hoy la «licencia MISA». Los cambios fechados que afectan a los extranjeros se recogen en Novedades.
Fuente: Glosario de términos jurídicos y oficiales de Arabia Saudita
Información general sobre el derecho saudí, no asesoramiento jurídico sobre su situación. Para su caso concreto, consulte a un abogado con licencia. Ponerse en contacto con nosotros no crea una relación abogado-cliente hasta que se firme una carta de encargo.