Divorce Procedures in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The divorce process is one of the important legal procedures that requires following the correct steps according to Islamic Sharia and local regulations to ensure the rights of all parties.

The process begins by submitting a divorce request before the competent Sharia court in the area of residence of the husband or wife, with submission of all required documents and specified court fees.

Required documents include the original marriage contract or certified copy, national identity cards for both spouses, and documents proving grounds for divorce such as medical reports or witness certificates.

The wife's residence certificate must also be submitted if she is foreign, and children's documents if any.

After submitting the request, a reconciliation hearing is scheduled between the spouses within a period ranging from 10-20 days, where the judge or arbitrator tries to reconcile the spouses and find solutions to family problems.

In case reconciliation fails, the divorce request is considered and an appropriate judgment is issued.

After the divorce judgment is issued, it is executed through competent authorities to ensure the rights of all parties.

These rights include temporary support for the wife, child support, custody rights, and division of joint property.

Divorce is also registered in civil registry and a divorce certificate is issued for both spouses.