Harsher penalties introduced for violating court orders.
Saudi Arabia has introduced a major new enforcement law that limits travel bans to a maximum of three years and imposes stricter penalties on those who fail to comply with court rulings.
The revised system, approved by the Council of Ministers, includes 65 articles and replaces the enforcement law issued in 2012. It will take effect 180 days after its publication in the official gazette, according to Okaz Arabic daily.
Under the new framework, penalties have been sharply increased, with fines raised from SR100,000 to SR1 million and prison sentences of up to three years for those who evade or delay the enforcement of court rulings.
The law criminalises acts such as hiding or transferring assets to avoid enforcement, deliberately obstructing execution procedures, providing false information, and threatening officials involved in the enforcement process.
Public officials who hinder enforcement may face prison terms of up to five years, while debtors found to have disposed of substantial assets to evade payment could face up to 15 years in jail.
The law also introduces penalties for the misuse of enforcement requests, as well as for unlawfully influencing pricing or disclosing confidential information.
Authorities said the new system is designed to improve judicial efficiency, protect rights, and ensure the timely enforcement of court rulings.
