By Adnan Shabrawi
Okaz/Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia received a total of 192 requests seeking to execute court rulings issued in foreign countries during the current Hijri year.
Courts in these countries have sought the intervention of Saudi execution courts to implement the verdicts, informed sources told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.
They said 105 these requests were to secure a total amount of SR49.32 billion.
According to the sources, the execution index at the Ministry of Justice showed that formal procedures with regard to the execution of the remaining 87 judgments were in the finishing stage.
The Jeddah Court of Execution is examining one court verdict for the confiscation of the assets of a Saudi trader. A British court ruled that the trader to pay $11.5 million to an Arab food company following a commercial dispute that broke out between a commercial establishment owned by the Saudi and the Arab food company.
The London court ruled against the Saudi trader on the basis of the contract signed between the two parties.
For her part, lawyer Nashwa Al-Mashharawi said Saudi execution courts treat judgments of foreign courts in accordance with the execution system prevailing in the Kingdom. “There are certain conditions and procedures for executing foreign court verdicts within Saudi territory. The Saudi execution courts have the jurisdiction to examine any verdicts issued by foreign courts to ascertain how far they are compatible with the terms and conditions in the Saudi law before their execution,” she said.
Khalid Al-Dolaihi, another lawyer, said the Saudi judiciary has helped overcome obstacles before foreign investors through the execution of verdicts related to trade disputes abroad. He also pointed to the Kingdom’s commitment to abide by international treaties pertaining to judicial cooperation between countries, including execution of foreign arbitral awards.
He expressed confidence in the judicial authorities in the Kingdom and their efforts to consolidate the foundations of justice in the country.
