# Glossary of Saudi legal and government terms

This glossary explains, in plain English, the Saudi legal terms, government platforms and official bodies that foreign companies and individuals meet most often. Each entry gives a short meaning and, where one exists, a link to the official page. Some terms also have their own page with more detail for foreigners.

Published by RAED ALI ALJOHANI COMPANY FOR Lawyership and Legal Consultations · Last updated 2026-10-19. General information about Saudi law — not advice on your situation.



## Which Saudi terms have their own page in this glossary?

Twelve terms have their own page, because foreigners meet them often and one line is not enough. Each page explains why the term matters to you and where you will meet it.

- Identity and travel: **Iqama** The residence permit, with its own ID number, of a foreigner living in Saudi Arabia. [Iqama](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/iqama/)
- Identity and travel: **Absher** The Ministry of Interior's online platform and app for ID and visa services. [Absher](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/absher/)
- Identity and travel: **Najiz** The Ministry of Justice's online platform for court cases, enforcement files and powers of attorney. [Najiz](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/najiz/)
- Identity and travel: **Travel ban** An order that stops a person from leaving Saudi Arabia. [Travel ban](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/travel-ban/)
- Documents: **Power of attorney** A signed document that lets another person, such as a lawyer, act in your name. [Power of attorney](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/power-of-attorney/)
- Documents: **Apostille** A certificate that confirms the signature and seal on a public document. [Apostille](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/apostille/)
- Money owed: **Enforcement Court** The Saudi court that carries out judgments and other enforceable documents, such as a cheque. [Enforcement Court](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/enforcement-court/)
- Money owed: **Promissory note** A signed, written promise to pay money to someone. [Promissory note](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/promissory-note/)
- Business: **Commercial registration (CR)** A business's entry in the Saudi commercial register, kept by the Ministry of Commerce. [Commercial registration (CR)](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/commercial-registration/)
- Business: **Investment registration** The registration with the Ministry of Investment that replaced the foreign-investment licence in 2025. [Investment registration](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/investment-registration/)
- Lawyers: **Saudi Bar Association** The professional body for lawyers in Saudi Arabia, with an online directory for checking licences. [Saudi Bar Association](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/saudi-bar-association/)
- Property: **Saudi Properties platform** The Real Estate General Authority's online portal where non-Saudis apply to own property. [Saudi Properties platform](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/saudi-properties-platform/)

Every other term is explained in the list of all terms below. Each entry has its own link, so you can share the meaning of one term on its own.

## Why do Saudi terms have more than one English spelling?

Arabic words can be written in English letters in more than one way. So the same term may appear as iqama or iqamah, or as wakala or wakalah. If you cannot find a word here, try another spelling, or search for the Arabic word.

The same is true of your own name, in the other direction: it can be spelt more than one way in Arabic. A document in another language usually needs a [certified translation](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/) into Arabic. This means a translation made by an approved translation office. Ask the translator to use one Arabic spelling of your name on every document.

## How should you use the meanings in this glossary?

Use them to follow what you read on Saudi official pages and documents. These meanings are general, not legal definitions. The official page linked in each entry has the current rules.

A meaning tells you what a word refers to. It does not tell you how a rule applies to your own matter. For how a process works step by step, see our [guides to Saudi law and procedure](https://saudilaw.co/guides/). For documents from your own country, see [apostille or legalisation, country by country](https://saudilaw.co/documents-from-abroad/). For dated changes in Saudi law that affect foreigners, see [What's changed](https://saudilaw.co/whats-changed/).


## Frequently asked questions

### Are these the legal definitions of the terms?

No. They are short, general meanings in plain English, to help you follow what you read. The exact meaning of a term comes from the Saudi law or the official body that uses it. Where an entry links an official page, that page has the current rules.

### What if a term I need is not in the glossary?

The glossary covers the terms that foreign companies and individuals meet most often, so some words are not here. Try another English spelling, or the Arabic word, first. If the term comes up in your own matter, send us a short outline that names it. Please don't send documents yet.

### Do these meanings change when Saudi law changes?

Sometimes. A new law can change what a term covers, or replace an old term with a new one. For example, investment registration replaced the foreign-investment licence in 2025, as our guide to [what “MISA licence” means now](/guides/misa-licence-vs-registration/) explains. Dated changes that affect foreigners are listed on [What's changed](/whats-changed/).

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.

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Saudi Law is operated by RAED ALI ALJOHANI COMPANY FOR Lawyership and Legal Consultations, licensed in Saudi Arabia. https://saudilaw.co/glossary/