Disputes & ResolutionCourt Fees
Synonyms: Judicial Costs، Litigation Fees، Filing Fees
Last updated: 2026-09-25
Short Definition
Court fees, known in Saudi Arabia as "judicial costs", are sums the state levies on claims and requests filed with the courts, borne in principle by the losing party.
Overview
Court fees, known in Saudi Arabia as "judicial costs", are sums the state levies on claims and requests filed with the courts, borne in principle by the losing party. They were introduced by the Judicial Costs Law issued by Royal Decree (M/16) dated 30/1/1443H, which took effect on 14 Sha'ban 1443H (17 March 2022), with the aims of curbing vexatious claims, encouraging settlement and promoting documented contracts.
A claim attracts costs of no more than 5% of the claim value, capped at SAR 1 million, with the assessment criteria set by the implementing regulation. Appeals, cassation and review requests, incidental requests, joinder and recusal requests attract costs of up to SAR 10,000, and requests for copies or file inspection up to SAR 1,000. Non-payment does not prevent a claim from being registered and decided, except for cassation and review requests, whose costs must be paid within 30 days or the right lapses. The losing party bears the costs, and a claimant bears the share attributable to any part of his claim that is rejected. If a case settles before the first hearing is adjourned, the costs are refunded; if it settles after that but before judgment, they are cut to one quarter. The law does not apply to public criminal cases, personal-status and estate-division cases (except cassation and review requests), Board of Grievances cases, bankruptcy cases or non-contentious applications, and workers claiming employment dues, government bodies and prisoners in financial cases are exempt.
A common confusion is calling Ejar platform fees court fees. Ejar is a documentation platform supervised by the Real Estate General Authority, and its charges are documentation fees: SAR 125 per contract year for a residential lease, and SAR 200 for the first year and SAR 400 for each additional year for a commercial lease. Judicial costs relate to lawsuits in court, such as a claim for damage to a unit or to rescind a lease before the General Court. A final assessment of uncollected costs is itself an executive instrument.
⚖️ Legal Basis
Judicial costs are based on the Judicial Costs Law issued by Royal Decree No. (M/16) dated 30/1/1443H and Council of Ministers Resolution No. (65) dated 23/1/1443H, with its implementing regulation: Article 2 on excluded cases, Article 3 on the 5% ceiling and SAR 1 million cap, Article 4 on the 25% surcharge when a struck-out case is refiled, Articles 7 and 8 on request costs, Article 11 on objecting to the assessment within 15 days, Article 12 on payment, Article 13 on the losing party bearing costs, Articles 15 and 16 on reductions and refunds on settlement, and Article 17 on exemptions. The Ministry of Justice announced its entry into force on 14 Sha'ban 1443H. Ejar charges are documentation fees, not judicial costs.
💡 Practical Example
The owner of a flat in Khobar sued a former tenant before the General Court for SAR 80,000 in damage to the unit. Judicial costs were assessed at registration at no more than 5% of the claim, i.e. at most SAR 4,000, and payment was not required to register the case. After an expert report the court awarded only SAR 50,000, so the tenant bore the share of costs corresponding to the amount awarded, and the owner bore the share for the SAR 30,000 that was rejected because he was not entitled to it. Had the parties settled before the first hearing was adjourned, the costs would have been refunded in full; had they settled after it but before judgment, the costs would have been cut to one quarter, i.e. no more than SAR 1,000, shared equally unless they agreed otherwise. The Ejar fee they had paid earlier to document their lease was SAR 125 per year and has nothing to do with judicial costs.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- ✗Confusing Ejar documentation fees with judicial costs — Ejar is a documentation platform, not a court, and its fees are unrelated to litigation costs.
- ✗Inflating the claim without grounds — the claimant bears the share of costs corresponding to the rejected part of his claims.
- ✗Missing the deadline to object to the cost assessment — an objection must be filed within 15 days of notification, and the court president's decision on it is final.
- ✗Delaying payment of costs for a cassation or review request — they must be paid within 30 days of filing or the request lapses.
- ✗Letting a case be struck out for absence and then refiling — an extra 25% in costs applies, borne by the claimant even if he wins.
🌍 International Differences
Before 2022 Saudi Arabia had no stand-alone law imposing general costs on lawsuits, which the Judicial Costs Law changed. In most countries fees are collected when a claim is filed: in Turkey proportional fees on money claims are partly paid upfront at registration and the rest at judgment. In the UAE claim fees are a percentage of the claim value with caps that differ between federal and local courts. In England issue fees are paid upfront according to bands that rise with the claim value. The distinctive Saudi feature is that a claim is registered without prior payment and early settlement cancels or reduces the costs.
FAQs
How much are court fees in Saudi Arabia?▾
A claim attracts judicial costs of no more than 5% of the claim value, capped at SAR 1 million, with assessment criteria set by the implementing regulation. Requests such as appeals and incidental requests attract costs of up to SAR 10,000.
Do I have to pay judicial costs before filing a case in Saudi Arabia?▾
No. Non-payment does not prevent a claim or request from being registered and decided, except for cassation and review requests, where the applicant has 30 days to pay or loses the right.
Who ultimately pays judicial costs?▾
The losing party pays them, and a claimant bears the share for any part of his claims in which he was not in the right. If a case ends in settlement, the parties share the costs equally unless they agree otherwise.
Does settlement reduce judicial costs?▾
Yes. Costs are refunded if the case settles before the first hearing is adjourned, and cut to one quarter if the parties settle before the court after the first hearing but before judgment.
Who is exempt from judicial costs in Saudi Arabia?▾
Workers claiming dues under employment contracts, government bodies, and prisoners or detainees in non-criminal financial cases are exempt, and the costs do not apply to Board of Grievances cases, public criminal cases, personal-status cases other than cassation and review requests, and other excluded categories.
