What are commercial lawsuits or cases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?
They are lawsuits filed against the merchant arising from a commercial business, a dispute between partners, or arising from commercial regulations.
What is the competent court to consider and adjudicate commercial cases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?
It is the commercial court, which is spread across the various governorates and regions of the Kingdom, whether in the form of an independent court or commercial circuits within the general court.
What are the jurisdictions of the commercial court in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?
The commercial court is competent to consider the following:
1. Disputes that arise between merchants due to their original or subsidiary commercial activities.
2. Lawsuits filed against the merchant in commercial contract disputes, when the value of the original claim in the lawsuit exceeds one hundred thousand riyals, and the council may, if necessary, increase this value.
3. Disputes between partners in a joint-stock company.
4. Lawsuits and violations arising from the application of the provisions of the Companies Law.
5. Lawsuits and violations arising from the application of the provisions of the Bankruptcy Law.
6. Lawsuits and violations arising from the application of intellectual property systems.
7. Lawsuits and violations arising from the application of other commercial systems.
8. Lawsuits and requests related to the judicial custodian, trustee, liquidator, appointed expert, and the like; When the dispute is related to a claim that the court has jurisdiction to hear.
9. Claim for compensation for damages arising from a claim previously heard by the court.
Types of commercial claims (cases) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
1- Appeal (commercial arbitration):
It is a claim that is filed for appeal directly, such as commercial arbitration claims, which is a claim in commercial arbitration disputes, and the requests in it are: (appointing the head of the arbitration panel – ending the arbitration procedures – taking temporary or precautionary measures).
Such as a request to appoint or reject an arbitrator, a request to issue an order to enforce an arbitration award, a request to rule to invalidate an arbitration award, the expiration of the arbitration procedures, in what is within the jurisdiction of the commercial court.
2- Commercial systems:
They are claims and violations arising from the application of the provisions of the commercial systems.
The claims include the following claims:
A. Foreign investment: These are claims and violations arising from the application of the provisions of the foreign investment system, the requests in them are: (compensation in the foreign investment system).
Such as: claims for compensation for damage resulting from committing one of the violations included in the system, and claims to prove violations and impose penalties on them. , and claims to object to decisions issued by the competent administrative authority at the Ministry of Investment.
B. Commercial data: These are claims and violations arising from the application of the provisions of the Commercial Data System, requests include: (termination of a contract in the Commercial Data System – compensation in the Commercial Data System – penalties and violations in the Commercial Data System).
Such as: placing incorrect or non-conforming commercial data on goods, products or imports.
C. Maritime trade: These are claims and violations arising from the application of the Commercial Maritime System, requests include: (termination of a contract in the Maritime Trade System – invalidation of the contract in the Maritime Trade System – compensation in the Maritime Trade System – cancellation of the administrative decision in the Maritime Trade System).
Such as: import and export, shipbuilding, leasing, and selling, and obligations of transport and shipping agents, claims for delayed delivery and differences in specifications, and the destruction of goods and marine insurance.
D. Commercial Franchise: These are the lawsuits and violations arising from the application of the provisions of the Commercial Franchise System, and the requests therein are: (Extension of the Franchise Agreement – Proof of Franchise – Contractual Obligations – Termination of a Contract in the Commercial Franchise System – Invalidation of the Contract in the Commercial Franchise System – Compensation in the Commercial Franchise System – Cancellation of the Administrative Decision in the Commercial Franchise System – Penalties and Violations in the Commercial Franchise System – Request for Commercial Franchise Commission – Request for Commercial Franchise Profit).
E. Commercial Mortgage: These are the lawsuits and violations arising from the application of the provisions of the Commercial Mortgage System, and the requests therein are: (The mortgagor’s request to deliver the proceeds of the mortgaged money – Delivery of the mortgaged money to the mortgagee – Tracking the mortgaged money – Selling the mortgaged money in accordance with Article Twenty-Five – Claiming the expenses and costs incurred by the holder – Permission to sell the mortgaged money – Compensation in the Commercial Mortgage System – Objection to an action taken by the holder – Procedures to preserve the mortgaged money – Lifting the mortgaged money from the hand).
Such as: Proving and recovering the mortgaged money, its proceeds and profits, and its investment rights, destruction of the mortgaged money, execution on the mortgaged money, mortgageable money.
F. Commercial Register: These are lawsuits and violations arising from the application of the provisions of the Commercial Register System, and the requests therein are: (Compensation in the Commercial Register System – Cancellation of the administrative decision in the Commercial Register System).
G. Combating Commercial Fraud: These are lawsuits and violations arising from the application of the provisions of the Commercial Fraud Combat System.
Such as: lawsuits for compensation for damage resulting from committing one of the violations included in the system, and lawsuits to prove violations and impose penalties on them.
H. Commercial Papers: These are lawsuits related to private rights arising from the application of the provisions of the Commercial Papers System (check – bill of exchange – promissory note), and the request therein is: (Not due).
Such as: The request submitted by the debtor to claim the non-due of the commercial paper or request its delivery. To oblige the value of the valid commercial paper.
T. Unfair Competition: These are lawsuits and violations arising from the application of the provisions of the Unfair Competition System, and the request therein is: (Compensation in the Competition System).
Such as: lawsuits for compensation for damage resulting from committing one of the violations included in the system, and lawsuits to prove violations and impose penalties on them.
A. Commercial agencies: These are lawsuits and violations arising from the application of the provisions of the Commercial Agencies System, and the requests therein are: (Extension of the agency agreement – Proof of the agency – Contractual obligations – Termination of a contract in the Commercial Agencies System – Compensation in the Commercial Agencies System – Cancellation of the administrative decision in the Commercial Agencies System – Penalties and violations in the Commercial Agencies System – Request for commission for commercial agencies – Request for profit in commercial agencies).
K. Trade names: These are disputes arising from the application of the provisions of the Trade names System, except for administrative disputes, and the requests therein are: (Compensation in the Trade names System – Cancellation of the administrative decision in the Trade names System).
L. Protection of trade secrets: These are disputes arising from the application of the provisions of the Regulation for the Protection of Confidential Commercial Information, except for administrative disputes, and the requests therein are: (Compensation in the Trade secrets protection system – Preventing the exploitation of confidential commercial information – Selling confidential information).
3- Companies:
This is a lawsuit in disputes that occur between partners in a joint-stock company, or disputes arising from the application of the Companies System.
The lawsuits include the following lawsuits:
A. Speculative companies: Speculative companies are companies established on the basis that the capital is from one party and the work is from the other, so that everyone shares in the resulting profit. The requests in them are: (return of capital – profits – proof of partnership – proof of exit – termination of partnership – dissolution of the speculative companies contract – invalidation of the speculative companies contract – compensation of speculative companies – delivery of documents in the speculative contracts).
Example: Partner actions such as aggression and negligence, guaranteeing capital, delivering profits, dissolving the partnership, accounting, and the like.
B. Regular companies: These are lawsuits and violations arising from the application of the companies system, and the requests in them are: (dissolution of the contract of a regular company – invalidation of the contract of regular companies – compensation of regular companies – cancellation of the administrative decision issued against the regular company).
Example: dismissal of the director, liquidation of the company, payment of profits, liability lawsuit, and invalidity lawsuit, and the like.
C. Company Contract: A company is a contract whereby two or more partners contribute a share of money or work or both of them together in a project to share the resulting profit or loss, and the requests therein are: (Determining non-essential issues – invalidating the company contract – proving the invalidity of the company contract – obligating the benefit obtained – determining the amount of the subject of the obligation in the company contract – reducing an obligation in a company contract – increasing an obligation in a company contract – obligating the specific implementation of the company contract – compensation in the company contract – increasing or decreasing the amount of compensation agreed upon in the company contract – dividing profits between partners – distributing losses between partners – objecting to a partner’s actions – reviewing the company’s books and documents – holding the manager accountable – leaving the company before the expiry of the term – removing one or more partners – liquidating the company – amending or exempting arbitrary terms in the contract – proving the termination of the company contract – dissolving the company contract).
4- Judicial requests:
These are urgent matters that are feared to be lost, litigation fees, and damages from commercial transactions between merchants related to lawsuits that commercial courts have jurisdiction to consider.
The lawsuits include the following lawsuits:
A. Attorneys’ or agents’ fees: A claim for attorneys’ or pleading fees or their recovery, filed by the attorney or agent against his client or vice versa based on an agreement between the two parties, whether the agreement was before or after filing the lawsuit or judicial request.
A lawsuit for attorneys’ fees is considered by the same circuit that considered the original lawsuit, and the city and address of the defendant must be selected in the same city of the court that considered the original lawsuit, or the court will be modified during the linking process automatically from the system upon referral to the competent circuit. This lawsuit may be from the client or agent, and the requests in it are: (Attorneys’ or agents’ fees in a case – recovery of the amounts paid to the attorney or agent).
B. A claim for damage between merchants due to tortious liability: It is a claim for damage filed by a merchant against a merchant due to his original or subsidiary commercial activities arising from his tortious liability not related to the contracts concluded between them, with the exception of claims related to real estate and claims arising from traffic accidents included in Article (31) of the Sharia Litigation System, in which the requests are: (Compensation for damage between merchants due to tortious liability – lifting the damage occurring between merchants due to tortious liability).
C. Appointed in commercial cases: is any lawsuit or request related to judicial assistants appointed by a decision or ruling issued by a commercial department, such as the judicial guardian, expert, liquidator, arbitrator, bankruptcy trustee, regulatory trustee, evaluator, with the exception of those appointed in arbitration cases, in which the requests are: (dismissal of a judicial assistant – resignation of a judicial assistant – fees of a judicial assistant – refund of fees of a judicial assistant – authorization to act from a judicial assistant – objection to the actions of a judicial assistant – extension of the term of work of a judicial assistant – compensation for those appointed in commercial cases – delivery of documents to those appointed in commercial cases).
D. Payment orders. The request shall be: (Issuing a payment order).
E. Compensation for litigation expenses.
F. Grievance against a payment order: The request shall be: (Cancellation of the payment order).
5- Commercial contracts:
These are the lawsuits filed against the merchant arising from a commercial contract, whether it is a written or unwritten contract.
The lawsuits include the following lawsuits:
A. Lease: These are the lawsuits filed between merchants regarding their commercial activities related to the lease or against the merchant arising from a commercial lease contract in which the value of the original dispute exceeds five hundred thousand, whether it is a written or unwritten contract. Exceptions to this are real estate leases and financial leases, the requests for which are: (rent of a property – termination of a lease contract – compensation in a lease contract – invalidation of a lease contract – delivery of documents in a lease contract – maintenance of the leased property – maintenance value of the leased property – delivery of the leased property).
Such as: equipment leases, cars, scaffolding, etc.
B. Commercial transfer: These are lawsuits filed between merchants regarding their commercial activities related to disputes arising from the transfer contract, whereby the debt is transferred from one person to another, or against the merchant arising from the commercial transfer, the value of the original dispute exceeds five hundred thousand, whether the contract is written or unwritten. The requests include: (Obligating the assignee to pay the debt – invalidating the commercial transfer contract – delivering documents in the commercial transfer contract).
C. Advertising, publicity and marketing: These are lawsuits filed between merchants regarding their commercial activities related to advertising, publicity and marketing, or against the merchant arising from a commercial advertising, publicity and marketing contract, the value of the original dispute exceeds five hundred thousand, whether the contract is written or unwritten. The requests include: (Advertising dues – Termination of an advertising, publicity and marketing contract – Compensation in an advertising, publicity and marketing contract – Penalty clause in an advertising, publicity and marketing contract – Refund in an advertising, publicity and marketing contract – Delivery of documents in an advertising, publicity and marketing contract – Enabling the implementation of the contract).
D. Commercial guarantee: These are lawsuits filed between merchants regarding their commercial activities related to disputes arising from his guarantee of a person due to his commercial activities or against the merchant arising from the commercial guarantee, the value of the original dispute exceeds five hundred thousand, whether the contract is written or unwritten, the requests include: (termination of a commercial guarantee contract – delivery of documents in a commercial guarantee contract).
E. Contracting: These are lawsuits filed between merchants regarding their commercial activities related to disputes arising from the contracting activity or against the merchant arising from the contracting contract if the value of the original dispute exceeds five hundred thousand, whether the contract is written or unwritten, the requests include: (Commercial deductions – preventing the liquidation of the performance guarantee or bank guarantee – returning the amount of the performance guarantee or bank guarantee – continuation of the contract or enabling the subject of the contract – termination of a contracting contract – invalidation of a contracting contract – compensation in a contracting contract – penalty clause in a contracting contract – delivery of documents in a contracting contract – return of equipment and tools in a contracting contract – value of implementation on account).
Example: Building construction contracts such as building, renovation, bridge and tunnel construction, demolition and excavation, operating contracting, maintenance contracting, manufacturing contracting, etc.
F. Offices and shops: These are lawsuits filed between merchants regarding their commercial activities related to the activities of offices and shops or against the merchant arising from contracts for offices and shops, the value of the original dispute exceeds five hundred thousand, whether the contract is written or unwritten, the requests include: (termination of the contract for offices and shops – compensation in the contract for offices and shops – penalty clause in the contract for offices and shops – refund of the price in the contract for offices and shops – delivery of documents in the contract for offices and shops – financial dues in the contract for offices and shops).
G. Transportation: These are lawsuits filed between merchants regarding their commercial activities related to transportation contracts or against the merchant arising from a commercial transportation contract, the value of the original dispute exceeds five hundred thousand, whether the contract is written or unwritten. Whereby the carrier undertakes to transport goods or persons from one point to another, whether the transport is by land or air, in return for a fee, the requests include: (transportation fee – compensation in the transport contract – penalty clause in the transport contract – delivery of the transported item – return of the transport fee – delivery of documents in a transport contract).
H. Sale and supply: These are lawsuits filed between merchants regarding their commercial activities related to sale and supply or against the merchant arising from a commercial sale or supply contract in which the value of the original dispute exceeds five hundred thousand, whether the contract is written or unwritten, whether the contract is for one time or repetitively, the requests include: (cancellation of a sale and supply contract – invalidation of a sale and supply contract – compensation in a sale and supply contract – penalty clause in a sale and supply contract – transfer of ownership of the sold item – delivery of documents in a sale and supply contract – entitlement to a deposit in a sale and supply contract – return of a deposit in a sale or supply – commercial maintenance and repair of a sale and supply).
T. Brokerage: These are lawsuits filed between traders regarding their commercial activities related to brokerage or against the trader arising from a commercial brokerage contract in which the value of the original dispute exceeds five hundred thousand, whether the contract is written or unwritten. The requests include: (request for commission in exchange for brokerage – recovery of commission – proof of a certain percentage of the commission – termination of a brokerage contract – compensation in a brokerage contract – penalty clause in a brokerage contract – delivery of documents in a brokerage contract).
6- Intellectual Property:
These are lawsuits related to intellectual property.
The lawsuits include the following lawsuits:
A. Copyright Protection: These are disputes arising from the application of the provisions of the Copyright Protection System, except for administrative disputes, and the requests in them are: (stopping the attack – canceling an administrative decision – compensation in the Copyright Protection System – compensation for damages in commercial litigation – applying the fines and penalties stipulated in the Copyright Protection System).
B. Patents: These are disputes arising from the application of the provisions of the Patent System, layout designs for integrated circuits, plant varieties and industrial models, except for administrative disputes, and the requests in them are: (preventing the exploitation of patents – canceling an administrative decision of patents – compensation in the Patent System – applying the fines and penalties stipulated in the Patent System – compensation for damages in commercial litigation).
C. Trademarks: These are disputes arising from the application of the provisions of the Trademarks System, except for administrative disputes, and the requests in them are: (compensation in the Commercial Workers System – cancellation of the administrative decision in the Commercial Workers System – cancellation of the trademark – cancellation of the trademark for previous use – stopping the infringement of the trademark – application of fines and penalties stipulated in the Trademarks System – compensation for damages of commercial litigation).
7- Urgent lawsuits:
They are urgent lawsuits that are within the jurisdiction of the Commercial Court.
The lawsuits include the following lawsuits:
A. Precautionary seizure.
B. Judicial custody: This is a lawsuit to demand that the disputed funds be placed in the hands of the person who is responsible for preserving and managing the funds in disputes within the jurisdiction of the Commercial Court.
C. Travel ban: This is a lawsuit to demand that the defendant be prevented from traveling if there are reasons to believe that the defendant’s travel is expected, and that it exposes the plaintiff’s right to danger or delays its performance in disputes within the jurisdiction of the Commercial Court.
– If there is an existing lawsuit between the parties, the plaintiff shall file a counterclaim to prevent travel.
– If the travel ban request is made after the issuance of the judgment, the enforcement court shall have jurisdiction over it.
D. Stopping new works: A lawsuit to demand stopping new works initiated by the defendant that may harm the plaintiff in disputes within the jurisdiction of the commercial court.
– Includes what the commercial court has jurisdiction to consider.
– It is filed as an urgent lawsuit before the completion of the work.
E. Inspection to prove a condition: A lawsuit by an interested party, even if it is potential, to prove the features of a fact that may become the subject of a dispute before the judiciary in the future against the opponent in disputes within the jurisdiction of the commercial court.
F. Stopping execution: A request to stop the execution of decisions issued by enforcement courts.
G. Obtaining a sample of a product: A lawsuit to demand obtaining a sample of a product.
H. Reserving certain documents.
I. Preventing disposal.
J. Permission to dispose.
K. Other urgent requests: These are other urgent requests (according to Article 36 of the Commercial Courts Law).
L. Proof of testimony: This is a lawsuit to prove a testimony that is feared to be lost.
A lawsuit from an interested party, even if it is potential, to prove a testimony that is feared to be lost, and that may become a subject of dispute before the judiciary in the future against the opponent in disputes within the jurisdiction of the Commercial Court.
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