Minister of Justice: Enforcement of commercial arbitration rulings grew by 43%
His Excellency the Saudi Minister of Justice, Dr. Walid bin Mohammed Al-Samaani, affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is witnessing a qualitative transformation in its legislative and judicial environment, noting that recent developments have directly contributed to consolidating the position of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution as strategic and reliable options within the national justice system.
A national strategy to enhance global confidence
The Minister of Justice made these remarks during his active participation in the Fifth International Conference on Commercial Arbitration, specifically in the first dialogue session entitled "National Strategy and Global Trust: Enhancing Legal Certainty and Investor Confidence." Al-Samaani explained that the integration of legal and judicial processes with the financial and commercial sectors was not accidental, but rather the product of a strategic vision aimed at building a stable and highly reliable investment environment.
Context of legislative reforms and Vision 2030
These statements come amidst unprecedented legislative activity in the Kingdom, aligned with the goals of Vision 2030. A set of specialized laws has been enacted, such as the Civil Transactions Law and the Evidence Law, which have strengthened the principle of legal certainty. These reforms are a cornerstone for reassuring local and international investors that their rights are protected by clear legal texts and effective enforcement mechanisms, thereby reducing the legal risks associated with business transactions.
Record numbers reflect confidence in refereeing
The Minister of Justice cited figures to demonstrate the success of these strategies, revealing a remarkable growth in the system for enforcing arbitration rulings, reaching 43% during 2025. Most significant is that commercial arbitration constituted 50% of the total of these rulings, a strong indicator of the increasing confidence of the business sector and major companies in arbitration as a fast and effective way to resolve disputes away from the corridors of traditional courts, supported by the unification of enforcement jurisdiction, which accelerated the pace of restoring rights.
Preventive justice: The future of contractual stability
In a related context, Al-Samaani emphasized that the Ministry of Justice is committed to expanding the scope of "preventive justice," a legal philosophy aimed at preventing disputes before they arise. He noted the Ministry's success in documenting over one million electronic contracts, benefiting more than 1.2 million individuals. This significant increase reflects the business community's awareness of the importance of documenting rights and underscores the ongoing need to develop tools that ensure contractual stability, which positively impacts the Kingdom's ranking in ease of doing business indicators and its ability to attract foreign direct investment.
