Requirements for Translating Foreign Contracts for Court
**Core rule:** Arabic is the official language of Saudi courts. When a contract or other paper written in a foreign language is presented in a case, a certified Arabic translation prepared by a licensed office must be provided. This applies to the contract and to related commercial papers relied on in the case, such as purchase orders, delivery receipts, and relevant annexes. **Document-scope examples:** The examples below are practical applications for foreign-language papers; they are not a published exhaustive list. **Written translation and interpretation:** Translating foreign-language documents into Arabic is distinct from interpreting the statements of non-Arabic-speaking litigants or witnesses. Interpretation does not replace the certified Arabic translation required for a written paper. **Case-dependent route:** An official commercial judgment shows a request to translate a purchase order and receipt, followed by upload of the translations through the system. A service is available through the Litigation Platform to manage judicial-translation requests, which may be initiated in the statement of claim or by the judicial circuit; this does not establish mandatory use in every case. If certification of a translation of a foreign-issued document is sought, separate conditions may apply to the original document’s certification chain and to the translation’s accuracy and fidelity to the text. MFA ratification is not shown to be required for every foreign contract filed in litigation.
- Foreign-language contracts and agreements
- Purchase orders
- Delivery or acceptance receipts
- Price quotations or commercial offers
- Invoices and account-balance confirmations
- Contract annexes, schedules, and technical specifications
- Foreign-language commercial correspondence or records relied on to prove contract formation, performance, delivery, or payment
Identify every foreign-language paper relied on in the statement of claim or as evidence, including the contract and its relevant operative annexes.
Arrange a certified Arabic translation prepared by a licensed office for each foreign-language paper that will be presented to the court.
Keep the source document, Arabic translation, and relevant annexes together, and submit the translation with the paper being relied on. No published universal translation layout or translator-certificate wording is established.
Submit the documents and translations through the applicable case workflow, and retain copies and a record of what was uploaded or filed.
If a judicial-translation request is initiated through the Litigation Platform, follow its status there. A request may begin in the statement of claim or with the judicial circuit; the service is not established as mandatory in every case.
Follow any case-specific direction concerning missing translations or papers and complete what is requested. An official commercial judgment shows that translations of contract-related documents may be requested, but no uniform sanction for an absent translation is established.
Follow any case-specific direction concerning missing translations or papers and complete what is requested. Court practice shows that translations of contract-related documents may be requested, but no uniform sanction for an absent translation is established.
| Document type | Common use | Note |
|---|---|---|
Must a foreign contract be translated into Arabic?
Yes. If the contract is a foreign-language paper presented in a case, it must be provided with a certified Arabic translation prepared by a licensed office.
Is an ordinary, uncertified translation enough?
No. A certified Arabic translation prepared by a licensed office is required; the rule does not support relying on an ordinary, uncertified translation.
Does the rule cover contract annexes?
No published list separately addresses annexes, but a foreign-language paper relied on in the case falls within the rule. Acceptance of an untranslated annex cannot be assured.
Must a purchase order and delivery receipt be translated?
A commercial court application shows a request to translate a purchase order and receipt, followed by upload of the translations through the system. This shows that contract-related commercial papers may require translation when relied on in a case.
Can interpretation replace a written contract translation?
No. Interpretation is used to hear non-Arabic speakers, while a foreign-language contract or other written paper presented in a case requires a certified Arabic translation.
Is use of the Unified Translation Center mandatory?
Its use is not established as mandatory in every case. The service is available to manage judicial-translation requests through the Litigation Platform, and a request may begin in the statement of claim or with the judicial circuit.
Is there a public universal list of licensed translators?
A universal public list of licensed translators is not established.
Is MFA ratification required for every foreign contract?
No. Ratification conditions address certification of translations of certain foreign-issued documents; they do not state that every foreign contract must be ratified before it is filed in litigation.
What is required when certifying a translation of a foreign document?
When certification is sought, the original must carry the required certification chain and the translation must be correct and faithful to the text. This route specifically refers to Arabic translations of foreign court instruments by an accredited and trusted entity.
Must the translation be bilingual on the same page?
No published rule requires a bilingual layout or a particular page format.
Is there a standard translator certification wording?
No standard published wording is established. A particular wording should not be presented as a statutory requirement without a published basis.
What happens if the contract is filed without a translation?
No uniform published sanction is established. An official commercial judgment shows that the court may request completion of document translations and that the absence of translation may be raised as a procedural objection.
Does this rule apply to commercial cases?
Yes. An official commercial judgment shows this rule being applied and translations being requested for commercial papers connected to the dispute.
Must every document in the case file be translated?
The rule addresses papers written in a foreign language, but no published test distinguishes every document from an immaterial one. The cautious approach is to translate each foreign paper expressly relied on and seek the court’s direction if uncertain.
Does translation guarantee admission or legal validity?
No. Translation addresses the language requirement, but it does not by itself prove a signature, the document’s authenticity, completion of certifications, or the contract’s evidentiary weight.
This guide is for general information and is not legal or consular advice. Always verify current requirements with the receiving authority.