Saudi Arabia caps travel bans at three years under new enforcement law

Saudi Arabia has introduced a sweeping new enforcement law that caps travel bans at a maximum of three years and significantly toughens penalties for those who evade court rulings.

The updated system, approved by the Council of Ministers, comprises 65 articles and replaces the enforcement law issued in 2012. It will come into force 180 days after its publication in the official gazette, Okaz Arabic daily reported.

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Under the new framework, penalties have been significantly increased, with fines rising from SR100,000 to SR1 million and prison terms of up to three years for those who evade or delay the execution of court rulings.

The law criminalises actions such as concealing or transferring assets to avoid enforcement, deliberately obstructing executing procedures, providing false information and threatening officials involved in enforcement processes.

Public officials who obstruct the enforcement process may face jail terms of up to five years, while debtors found to have dissipated large assets could face up to 15 years in prison.

The law also introduces penalties for misuse of enforcement requests and for influencing pricing or disclosing confidential information unlawfully.

Authorities said the system aims to strengthen judicial efficiency, safeguard rights and ensure timely enforcement of court rulings.