More than 7,200 child custody certifications were granted to women without litigation in the past 12 months, revealed the Saudi Ministry of Justice.
The ministry had enacted procedures last year to give a mother the custody of her children out of court in cases proven to be undisputed with the children’s father.
Amendments to the enforcement regulations also stipulate that child custody or visitation cases must be enforced in the country stated in the enforcement instrument and that alimony rulings must be directly enforced.
The amendments also require direct implementation of summary judgments and decisions entailing visitation or handover of a child to a custodial mother and the priority of a woman’s alimony over her ex-husband’s other debts.
In addition to the amendments in enforcement regulations, the Ministry of Justice has taken several steps to ensure mothers and children are safeguarded if parents go through divorce.
An alimony fund was launched in May 2019 to ensure timely payments are made to mothers without delay. Custody and visitation centers were established in June to help courts implement visitation decisions without any delays, helping children cope with separation and creating a sense of commitment by parents towards them.
