How long does it take to evict a tenant in Saudi Arabia?

Throughout the Kingdom, a lease longer than 3 months renews automatically unless the landlord tells the tenant at least 60 days before the end date that it will not be renewed. Inside the Riyadh urban area, a landlord may refuse renewal only on limited grounds, one of which is the tenant’s failure to pay. If the landlord wants the home for personal use or for a first-degree relative, the notice is at least 365 days under two decisions of the Real Estate General Authority (REGA); their text names no city, while Ejar lists it among the Riyadh conditions.

For late payment, the unified residential lease gives a grace period counted from each due date: 30 days if the payment cycle is 180 days or longer, and 15 days if it is shorter. It lets the landlord terminate the lease through Ejar if the tenant is late “(15) or (30) days after the end of the grace period”, but cancelling the lease on Ejar by one party alone requires an Execution Court decision.

In January 2020 the Ministry of Justice said that the holder of a unified lease documented on Ejar chooses “direct enforcement” in the electronic execution request to evict. In July 2025 Ejar said, as reported by Arrajol magazine, that a lease is not terminated automatically when the tenant is late, that the General Court hears termination claims and that the Execution Court enforces its judgments. No official text settles which route applies. On the lawsuit route, eviction can be enforced only on a final judgment or one with expedited enforcement.

Under Article 72 of the Execution Law issued by Royal Decree M/53 dated 13/8/1433H, the enforcement officer goes to the property on the day after 5 days have passed since the tenant was notified of the execution order, hands it over to the landlord and may use force to enter if needed. The implementing regulation (paragraph 72/1) lets the court circuit postpone the start of the eviction when necessary, by no more than 30 days. If the occupant does not attend or refuses to take their belongings, these go to the judicial storekeeper, and the enforcement judge orders their sale at auction after two months unless collected.

The Execution Law issued by Royal Decree M/237 dated 3/11/1447H replaces the current law. If the tenant has not vacated within 5 working days of being notified of the execution order, or of its public announcement when notification is not possible, the court immediately orders the competent force to act. If that cannot be done, it bans the tenant from travelling abroad at the landlord’s request and imposes a fine of up to SAR 10,000 a day (Article 36). If 30 working days pass after any of these measures without the eviction being carried out, the court orders the tenant’s detention at the landlord’s request for up to 180 days, which can be extended, with exceptions (Article 37).

The law leaves the detailed rules for evicting a property and for dealing with belongings left inside to its implementing regulation. A dispute by the tenant over the enforcement or the underlying right, or a grievance, does not stop enforcement unless the body hearing it decides otherwise (Article 47).