Saudi Gazette report

Beijing — The Saudi justice system complies with internationally recognized fair trial standards, said Justice Minister Waleed Al-Samaani during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Zhang Jun here on Tuesday.

Presenting an overview of the Saudi justice system, Al-Samaani said there are three levels of litigation in the Kingdom, which are among the most important guarantees of the Saudi justice system.

Adjudication of trade disputes has two tracks, he said. The first track is settlement through the commercial judiciary represented by the Specialized Commercial Court. The second track is settlement through commercial arbitration through the recently-established Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration, which takes care of swift dispute settlement.

The justice minister said the legal profession in Saudi Arabia was progressing continuously.

There are more than 4,800 lawyers, including 209 female lawyers, licensed to practice the profession in accordance with the Legal Practice Law.

The Ministry of Justice launched the Legal Training Center and many programs aimed at enhancing the legal capabilities of lawyers.

“Saudi Arabia established the Saudi Lawyers Association in 2015 with the approval of the Council of Ministers. The association is an independent body that aims at improving legal practice and ensuring good performance and awareness of the profession,” Al-Samaani added.

He said the relations with China in the judicial field had become more important with the increase of trade exchange between the two major countries in Asia. The steps were encouraged by the leaders of the both countries, especially after the recent successful visits made by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, which had developed a strategic agreement reviving the ancient Silk Road, a symbol of trade exchange between China and the Arabian Peninsula throughout the ages.