Urgent legal help in Saudi Arabia: what to do first
If something urgent is happening in Saudi Arabia, act early, write down what you know and speak to a licensed Saudi lawyer. This page gives general first steps for five situations. They are someone detained, being stopped from leaving, a notice about a case, a bank guarantee being called and a debtor moving assets. Then call or message us.
Published by RAED ALI ALJOHANI COMPANY FOR Lawyership and Legal Consultations · Last updated
General information about Saudi law — not advice on your situation.
Tell us who it is about, where they are now and what has happened. Please don’t send ID copies or documents yet.
What should you do first if someone is detained in Saudi Arabia?
Tell the person’s embassy or consulate, write down what you know and speak to a licensed Saudi lawyer. Family abroad can usually do all three from home.
- Tell the person’s embassy or consulate. It stays in contact with a detained citizen of its country and can share a list of local lawyers. It does not act in Saudi courts, and what it offers varies by country.
- Write down what you know, and keep it private. Note who was detained (held by the police or another authority), where, when, and who told you. Post nothing about it on social media.
- Speak to a licensed Saudi lawyer. The lawyer tells you what written authority they need, and from whom, before they can act.
What the family can do now.
If someone you know is detained in Saudi Arabia
Then call or message us.
What should you do first if you are stopped from leaving Saudi Arabia?
Find out what is open under your name, and why. A travel ban (an order that stops a person from leaving) is usually linked to an enforcement file, an open case or an investigation.
An enforcement file is a court file to make someone pay what they owe.
- Check what you can. If you live in Saudi Arabia and can sign in, check Absher (Ministry of Interior) and Najiz (Ministry of Justice). Each shows different records.
- Keep every message, notice and reference number. Write down what you were told at the airport, by whom and when.
- Speak to a lawyer if you cannot check, or the cause is not clear. A lawyer can usually check for you through a power of attorney, a signed document that lets someone act for you.
Where to look, even if you cannot sign in.
How to check for a travel ban or an open case in Saudi ArabiaWhy a ban usually ends when its cause is dealt with.
How travel bans end in Saudi Arabia
Then call or message us.
What should you do first if you receive a Saudi court, police or prosecution notice?
Do not ignore it. Keep the notice exactly as you received it, and speak to a lawyer before you reply or give a statement.
- Keep the notice as you received it. It may come by text message (SMS), through Najiz or by phone. Note when it arrived, who sent it and any date it gives.
- Find out what it is about. If you are abroad or cannot sign in to Najiz, a lawyer can usually check for you through a power of attorney.
- Speak to a lawyer before you reply or give a statement. This includes the police and the Public Prosecution, the authority that investigates crimes.
If you have already left Saudi Arabia.
A case filed against you after you left Saudi ArabiaIf you are still in Saudi Arabia.
Facing a case, an arrest or a travel ban in Saudi ArabiaHow court notices are sent, and how to read them.
Saudi court notifications: SMS, Najiz and what to doComing soon
Then call or message us.
What should a company do first if a bond or guarantee is called in Saudi Arabia?
Gather the papers, write down the key dates and talk to a lawyer early. A bond or bank guarantee is a bank’s written promise to pay the other party under set terms. It is “called” when that party asks the bank to pay.
- Gather the call notice, the guarantee and the contract it covers. Keep them ready, but do not send them to us yet.
- Write down the key dates. Note when the call arrived, and any messages with the bank or the other party.
- Talk to a lawyer early. What can be done often depends on timing and on the evidence you hold.
How project and supply disputes are handled.
Disputes with Saudi distributors, agents, contractors and suppliersWhat to check when a bond or bank guarantee is called.
Performance bonds and guarantee callsComing soon
Then call or message us.
What should a creditor do first if a debtor may be moving assets in Saudi Arabia?
Write down what you have seen, gather your proof of the debt and talk to a lawyer early. A creditor is the person or company owed money, and the debtor is the one who owes it. Assets are what the debtor owns.
- Write down what you have seen, and when. For example, the debtor selling property, closing a business or preparing to leave Saudi Arabia.
- Gather your proof of the debt. This means the contract, the invoices and any signed promissory note (a written promise to pay) or cheque. Do not send them to us yet.
- Talk to a lawyer early. A lawyer can tell you which steps may be open before a court decides the claim.
How a foreign company or person can get paid by a debtor.
Recovering money owed in Saudi ArabiaHow a debtor’s assets are found, and when they can be secured.
Finding assets and securing payment before judgmentComing soon
Then call or message us.
What should you tell a Saudi lawyer first about an urgent matter?
A few lines are enough. Tell us these four things.
- Who it is about: you, a relative or your company, and the person’s country.
- Where they are now: in Saudi Arabia or abroad, if you know.
- What happened and when: a few lines, with the main dates.
- What you received: any notice, message or call, who sent it and any reference number.
Please don’t send ID copies or documents yet.
We work in Arabic and English. In your first message, tell us which language you prefer. We then tell you whether we can help, what we need and how fees are agreed.
Before you instruct any lawyer, you can check a Saudi lawyer’s licence. Our page on how we work with clients outside Saudi Arabia explains the first steps after you contact us.
Official sources
This page draws on 5 official sources. Each line shows who publishes it, its language and, where recorded, the date we last checked it.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (a foreign government's page) · Information pack for British prisoners in Saudi Arabia (in English) · checked
- Government of Canada (a foreign government's page) · Arrest and detention (in English) · checked
- U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Saudi Arabia (a foreign government's page) · Services for U.S. and Local Citizens (in English) · checked
- Ministry of Justice · Najiz platform (in Arabic) · checked
- Ministry of Interior · Absher (Ministry of Interior e-services) Pending verification
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.