Saudi Arabia Launches First Administrative Enforcement Court

Saudi Arabia’s President of the Board of Grievances and Administrative Judicial Council Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Yousef launches the Kingdom’s first administrative enforcement court (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia’s President of the Board of Grievances and Administrative Judicial Council Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Yousef launches the Kingdom’s first administrative enforcement court (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Launches First Administrative Enforcement Court

Saudi Arabia’s President of the Board of Grievances and Administrative Judicial Council Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Yousef launches the Kingdom’s first administrative enforcement court (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia’s President of the Board of Grievances and Administrative Judicial Council Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Yousef launches the Kingdom’s first administrative enforcement court (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has introduced its first administrative enforcement court, functioning under the enforcement system before the Board of Grievances.

The court is responsible for carrying out judicial decisions and administrative bonds while settling disputes related to their execution.

This initiative aims to ensure judicial security, support the investment environment, and contribute to social, economic, and tourism development.

It signifies advancements in legislative and judicial systems, prioritizing rights protection and streamlining the paths to justice in Saudi Arabia.

Having and implementing the enforcement system for court decisions and administrative bonds ensures judicial security, affirmed the President of the Board of Grievances and Administrative Judicial Council, Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Yousef.

He added that it also supports investment, social development, tourism, and overall attractiveness in the Kingdom.

Al-Yousef, speaking to ministers and judiciary members at the inauguration event, emphasized that this enforcement system showcases the leadership's commitment to updating the judicial system and regulating laws for the well-being of the Kingdom's citizens and residents.

The Board of Grievances derives its jurisdiction from the enforcement law by forced implementation against administrative bodies, in accordance with the rules and regulations set out by the law.

It includes a penalty for refraining from implementation or exploiting influence or authority to prevent implementation and penalties of imprisonment and fines, considering them corruption crimes and major crimes requiring arrest.

In the last eight years, Saudi Arabia has carried out major reforms to improve its judicial and legal system.

The Board of Grievances has embraced digital governance, making all its processes completely digital. This move, using the latest technology, sets an international precedent.

Filing a lawsuit now takes no more than 5 minutes through just 4 steps. In administrative courts, the entire litigation process is completed in under 98 days.



Qatar PM Says Gaza Ceasefire Talks Make Some Progress

FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
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Qatar PM Says Gaza Ceasefire Talks Make Some Progress

FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo

Qatar's prime minister said on Sunday that efforts to reach a new ceasefire in Gaza have made some progress but an agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the war remains elusive.

"We have seen on Thursday a bit of progress compared to other meetings yet we need to find an answer for the ultimate question: how to end this war. That's the key point of the entire negotiations," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as foreign minister, Reuters reported.

Mossad Director David Barnea traveled to Doha on Thursday to meet Sheikh Mohammed amid efforts to reach a new ceasefire in Gaza, Axios reported last week.

Sheikh Mohammed didn't say which elements of the ceasefire talks had progressed in recent days, but said Hamas and Israel remained at odds over the ultimate goal of negotiations.

He said the militant group is willing to return all remaining Israeli hostages if Israel ends the war in Gaza. But Israel wants Hamas to release the remaining hostages without offering a clear vision on ending the war, he said.

"When you don't have a common objective, a common goal between the parties, I believe the opportunities (to end the war) become very thin," Sheikh Mohammed said at a press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Fidan said talks Turkish officials have held with Hamas had shown the group would be more open to an agreement that goes beyond a ceasefire in Gaza and aims for a lasting solution to the crisis with Israel, including a two-state solution.

Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18 after a January ceasefire collapsed, saying it would keep up pressure on Hamas until it frees the remaining hostages still held in the enclave. Up to 24 of them are believed to still be alive.

The Gaza war started after Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack. Since then, Israel's offensive on the enclave killed more than 51,400, according to local health officials.