Handling a Saudi matter from abroad · Part 1 of 4: give someone the right to act for you
Power of attorney for Saudi Arabia, signed abroad
A power of attorney for Saudi Arabia lets a Saudi lawyer act in your name while you stay in your own country. You usually sign it in front of a notary there, without travelling. It then needs official stamps (an apostille or legalisation) and often an Arabic translation, depending on your country and the Saudi office receiving it.
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
- People and companies outside Saudi Arabia who want a lawyer, or another person they trust, to handle a matter for them in Saudi Arabia. If a family member is stopped or held in Saudi Arabia, start with our guide for foreigners facing a case, arrest or travel ban.
- Can it be handled from outside Saudi Arabia?
- Yes. In most cases. You sign the power of attorney in your own country and get it officially stamped there (by a notary, then an apostille or legalisation). For this step, you do not need to travel to Saudi Arabia.
- What usually decides the route
- Where you sign, whether that country has joined the Apostille Convention, and what the Saudi office receiving it accepts, such as a court or a bank.
- What you usually need first
- A clear idea of what the power of attorney is for. Your Saudi lawyer then drafts the text for you to sign.
- First step with us
- Tell us your country and what the power of attorney is for, by WhatsApp, a call or email. Please don’t send any documents yet.
- Working languages
- Arabic and English
Tell us your country and what the power of attorney is for. We’ll tell you whether we can help, what we need from you, and how we decide the text and the fee together.
Can you give a Saudi lawyer a power of attorney without travelling to Saudi Arabia?
Yes, usually. You sign the power of attorney in your own country, in front of a notary or another official who is allowed to do this. The apostille or legalisation is done there too. You do not need to be in Saudi Arabia for any of this.
When the original reaches us and any needed translation is ready, your lawyer can usually start acting for you in Saudi Arabia. Most Saudi court sessions now take place online. Najiz is the Ministry of Justice’s online platform for cases and powers of attorney. To sign in, Najiz uses Nafath, the Saudi government’s login app. Nafath needs a Saudi digital identity, which is linked to an ID issued in Saudi Arabia. So a client abroad usually works through a lawyer who holds their power of attorney.
For the power of attorney itself, the only step you attend in person is the signing, in your own country. Some matters may also need you, or another person you name, to be present in Saudi Arabia. We’ll tell you if yours is one of them.
What is a power of attorney for Saudi Arabia?
A power of attorney (in Arabic, wakala) is a signed document that lets another person, such as a lawyer, act in your name. A Saudi lawyer needs one before acting for you with a court or a government office.
The wording matters as much as the signature. It lists exactly what the person you name (the “holder”) may do. For example: which matter it covers, and with which courts, banks or other offices. It also says whether they may settle a claim or dispute by agreement, receive money for you, or appoint another lawyer. A power of attorney signed abroad usually needs official stamps before Saudi courts and offices accept it.
Should a Saudi power of attorney be general or specific?
A specific power of attorney (sometimes called a special power of attorney) is usually used for one named matter, such as one case or one claim. A general power of attorney is used for ongoing matters that you cannot list in advance. With a specific power of attorney, you keep more control. With a general power of attorney, you may not need to sign a new document for a new matter.
The choice depends on how many matters you have, and how much you want the holder to be able to do without asking you first. Once we agree to take on your matter, we’ll suggest wording that fits. See specific and general powers of attorney compared below.
Does a power of attorney for Saudi Arabia need an apostille or embassy stamps?
Usually, it needs one of the two. If your country has joined the Apostille Convention, it needs an apostille. If your country has not joined, it needs legalisation instead (often called attestation), which includes stamps from the Saudi embassy or consulate. Saudi Arabia has joined the Apostille Convention. The convention, also called the Hague Apostille Convention, is an international agreement. It makes official documents from one country easier to use in the other countries that have joined. An apostille is an official certificate, added in your own country, that confirms that the signature and stamp of the official, such as the notary, are real. Legalisation is a series of official stamps: first from your country’s foreign ministry, then from the Saudi embassy or consulate in your country.
Some Saudi offices still mention embassy stamps in their own guides. So before you pay for any stamp or certificate, we check what the office that will receive your document accepts.
To check whether your country uses the apostille or legalisation, see:
Does a power of attorney signed outside Saudi Arabia need an Arabic translation?
Usually, yes. Saudi courts and many government offices work in Arabic, so a power of attorney in another language needs a certified translation. This means a translation made by an approved translation office.
Whether the translation is done in your country or in Saudi Arabia depends on the office that receives it. So ask us before you pay for a translation in your own country, and we’ll tell you what that office needs.
Write your name exactly as it appears in your passport. A name written in English letters can be spelt more than one way in Arabic. So ask the translator to use the same Arabic spelling on every document.
How do you check or cancel a Saudi power of attorney?
You can usually cancel (revoke) a power of attorney when you no longer want someone to act for you. Najiz also lets you check a power of attorney, for example whether it is still valid. But Najiz needs a Nafath login, so a client abroad usually asks a lawyer to check it.
How you cancel one depends on where it was signed and where it has been used in Saudi Arabia. We can tell you which steps apply. Keep a copy of every power of attorney you sign, and note its date and who holds it.
How does a power of attorney from abroad work, step by step?
Tell us your country and what the power of attorney is for. A few lines are enough. Don’t send documents yet.
Accept our fee proposal and sign our engagement letter (our written agreement with you). Then check and approve the text of the power of attorney that we draft for you. See how we work with clients outside Saudi Arabia. Where a lawyer helps: before you pay for any stamps or certificates, we check which Saudi office will receive the document and what it accepts.
Sign it in front of a notary, or another official who is allowed to do this, in your country. Bring your passport. If you sign on behalf of a company, the notary will usually ask for proof that you are allowed to sign for it. This may be the company’s registration papers or a board decision.
Get an apostille from the office in your country that issues them, if your country has joined the Apostille Convention. You can check this in the official list of countries that have joined, kept by the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). For Saudi Arabia, the convention took effect on 7 December 2022.
Have it legalised instead if your country has not joined: first by your foreign ministry, then by the Saudi embassy or consulate in your country. Some Saudi offices also ask for a final stamp from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the ministry calls this “ratification”).
Ask us whether you need a certified Arabic translation, and where it should be done. It may be done in your country before you send the original, or in Saudi Arabia after the original arrives.
Send the signed original to us by post or courier, as we agree with you. Keep a copy of every page and certificate.
Let us present the power of attorney to the court, bank or other office that needs it, including on Najiz. We act only within the powers it gives us.
What is the difference between a specific and a general power of attorney?
| Comparison | Specific power of attorney | General power of attorney |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Named matters, such as one case, one claim or one sale | A wider range of matters, described in general words |
| Best suited to | One matter, or a set of matters you can name now | Ongoing matters in Saudi Arabia that you cannot list in advance |
| How much control you keep | More: the holder can act only on the matters named | Less: the holder can act on many matters without asking you again |
| What to think about before signing | A new matter may need a new power of attorney | Choose the holder with care, and know how you would cancel it |
What to prepare before you sign
Requirements for a power of attorney for Saudi Arabia depend mostly on the Saudi office that receives it. On your side, have these ready:
- What the power of attorney is for: the matter, and the other side (the person or company you have the dispute or deal with), if there is one.
- Your full name exactly as it appears in your passport, and the passport itself for the notary.
- The details of the person or firm who will act for you. We give you ours once we agree to take on your matter.
- For a company: who signs on its behalf, and the company papers the notary will ask for (such as its registration certificate or a board decision).
Before you sign, check that:
- the wording covers the matter you need, and gives no powers you did not mean to give;
- you know whether your country uses the apostille or legalisation;
- the name of the person or firm who will act for you matches the details we gave you.
Please don’t send copies of your passport or ID, or any other documents, until we agree to take on your matter.
Frequently asked questions
Can I give a Saudi power of attorney to a friend or relative?
Often, yes. But some Saudi courts and offices limit who may act for another person, so ask us before you choose who holds it. A licensed Saudi lawyer also gives you legal advice and has professional duties to you, which a friend or relative does not. Whoever holds it, limit the wording to what they need to do. You can check a Saudi lawyer’s licence from anywhere.
Can the Saudi embassy help with a power of attorney?
Yes, as one step in legalisation. After your foreign ministry has stamped the document, the Saudi embassy or consulate in your country adds its own stamp. If your country uses the apostille, that step is usually not needed. Ask us before you book an appointment at an embassy.
Can a power of attorney let my lawyer receive money for me?
Only if the wording says so. You decide whether to include it, and you can limit it to one matter or one payment. We’ll explain how it would work before you sign.
Can a power of attorney signed in another country be used in Saudi Arabia?
Usually, yes, once it has the right official stamps for use in Saudi Arabia. That means an apostille or legalisation, and often a certified Arabic translation. Which steps you need depends on where it was signed and which Saudi office receives it.
Will every Saudi court, bank and office accept my power of attorney?
Not automatically. Each court, bank or office has its own rules, so we first check what the one receiving yours accepts.
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.
- HCCH · Apostille Convention status table (in English) · checked
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Ratification services on documents (in English) · Pending verification
- Ministry of Justice · Najiz (Ministry of Justice e-services) Pending verification
- Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) · SAMA Rulebook: approval of apostille authentication for foreign public documents (in English) · Pending verification
What usually comes next
Talk to a lawyer about a power of attorney from abroad
We handle Saudi legal matters for people and companies outside Saudi Arabia, using a power of attorney and documents signed and stamped in their own country. A few lines are enough: your country, what the power of attorney is for, and which Saudi court or office will receive it, if you know.
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.