The enforcement request on Najiz: turning your enforceable instrument into money in your account

What is an enforceable instrument, and why is it the ticket into the enforcement court

The enforcement court does not examine the underlying dispute and does not ask why the debt arose; its job is to compel the debtor to honor what a valid enforceable instrument proves. The Saudi Enforcement Law therefore defines exhaustively what counts as an enforceable instrument. The ones that matter most to businesses are:

• The promissory note, today most efficiently issued electronically through the Nafith platform.
• Final court judgments and rulings.
• Other commercial papers such as cheques and bills of exchange, per their rules.
• Notarized documents, including the notarized acknowledgment of debt and ratified settlement agreements.

An invoice on its own, WhatsApp messages, and friendly demands are not enforceable instruments. Their holder needs a full lawsuit to prove the debt before ever reaching enforcement, losing months that early, correct documentation would have saved.

Before Najiz: document the debt with the right instruments

The collection ladder this series explains starts with the formal demand letter, template B-01, then climbs to documenting the debt itself: an acknowledgment of debt on template B-04 fixing the amount and due date over the debtor's signature, or an electronic promissory note through Nafith as our published practical guide in this series explains. Each rung lifts you from a mere claim to a paper the law recognizes.

The practical rule: the closer your documentation sits to the top of the ladder, the shorter your road through Najiz. A Nafith promissory note goes straight to enforcement, a notarized acknowledgment comes close, and a demand letter alone does not open the enforcement court's door, yet it remains the professional first step in every case and often settles the claim amicably before any escalation.

Filing the enforcement request on Najiz, step by step

The service is fully electronic through the Ministry of Justice's Najiz portal under the name enforcement request submission and, in ordinary cases, requires no attendance and no intermediary. The general path:

1. Sign in to Najiz with the national single sign-on, as the establishment or its owner depending on who the creditor is.
2. Choose the enforcement request service and select the type of enforceable instrument you hold.
3. Enter the debtor's details exactly as they appear on the instrument: name and ID or commercial registration. Matching data is a condition of acceptance.
4. Enter the claim amount and attach the instrument; a Nafith electronic note is retrieved electronically with no manual upload.
5. Submit and track the request from the Najiz dashboard; every update reaches you as a notification.

After acceptance: the enforcement order and the statutory deadline

If the request meets its conditions, the enforcement court issues its order and the debtor is formally notified, with five days from notification under the Enforcement Law to pay, settle, or disclose assets before compulsory enforcement begins.

If the window lapses without payment, the enforcement court holds broad powers that may include seizing bank accounts and balances, imposing a travel ban, suspending certain government services for the debtor, and attaching and selling assets through the statutory process. These powers are what make the enforceable instrument the strongest paper a creditor can hold.

If the debtor pays or you reach a settlement after filing, put the settlement in writing; you can then close or update the enforcement request accordingly. A documented settlement and release agreement protects both sides from the same dispute reopening later.

Practical tips that shorten the road

• Match the data from day one: the debtor's name and ID or commercial registration on the instrument must match reality; an error there stalls the request.
• Prefer the electronic Nafith note over paper: it is stored and retrieved electronically and its signature is rarely disputed.
• Document every partial payment in writing before and during enforcement, so the claim amount before the court stays accurate.
• Do not delay the demand letter while planning escalation: many debts are paid at the first formal documented demand, with no court at all.

Where Sighaty sits along this path

Sighaty does not file the enforcement request for you; that is a direct government path through Najiz. Our role comes earlier: making sure that on the day you need enforcement, you hold a valid instrument, matching data, and a complete documentation chain. Template B-05 walks you step by step to issuing a promissory note through Nafith, template B-04 documents the acknowledgment of debt in certified wording, and template B-01 opens the claim professionally. All bilingual, certified by a licensed Saudi lawyer, kept current with the regulations, and smart-filled in minutes.

Frequently asked questions