How to Draft a Statement of Claim in Saudi Arabia (and File It on Najiz)

What a Saudi statement of claim must contain, how to file it on the Najiz portal and the common mistakes that get claims rejected.

In Saudi Arabia, a lawsuit begins with a written statement of claim (sahifat al-da'wa) filed with the competent court — today almost always online through the Ministry of Justice's Najiz portal. A clear, complete statement of claim saves time; an incomplete one can be rejected before the court even looks at the merits.

What the statement of claim must contain

Under the Law of Procedure before Sharia Courts (Article 41), the statement of claim must include the essential details of the parties and the claim, including:

• The claimant: full name, ID number, occupation, place of residence and workplace.
• The defendant: full name and whatever is known of their occupation, residence and workplace.
• The subject of the claim and the facts on which it is based.
• The requests (relief sought), stated precisely.

In practice, a strong statement of claim also sets out the facts in date order, the legal basis for each request and a list of supporting documents.

Filing on Najiz: step by step

1. Log in to Najiz using National Single Sign-On (Absher/Nafath).
2. Choose the judiciary services and select statement of claim.
3. Pick the correct case classification — main category, sub-category and case type.
4. Enter the claimant's and defendant's details.
5. Write the subject and the requests in the fields provided.
6. Attach supporting documents (contracts, invoices, correspondence) as PDF files.
7. Submit. The court reviews the filing, schedules the first hearing and notifies the parties.

Common mistakes that cause rejection or delay

• Wrong or incomplete party details — especially the defendant's ID or commercial registration number.
• Choosing the wrong case type in Najiz.
• Vague requests such as "compensation for my losses" instead of a specific amount and basis.
• Emotional or rambling facts instead of a short chronological account.
• No legal basis or missing documents.

Where AI helps

An AI drafting tool can turn your notes and documents into an organised first draft: a chronological statement of facts, a clear legal basis and precise requests, in formal Arabic. You then review it — ideally with a lawyer — before filing on Najiz.

Try it: prepare a first draft with LexArab's AI claim drafting.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Procedures may change; check Najiz and consult a licensed Saudi lawyer for your case.