Saudi Courts Deploy AI to Advance Digital Justice
Saudi Arabia is expanding the use of artificial intelligence across its judicial system to accelerate court procedures, reduce administrative workloads and improve digital services while preserving judicial independence and the authority of judges.
The initiative forms part of the Kingdom’s wider government digitalisation programme, supported by Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Strategy for Data and AI. The objective is to establish a more efficient and integrated digital justice system without allowing automated technologies to replace judges or determine the outcomes of disputes.
Saudi Arabia’s judicial framework maintains that the judiciary is an independent authority governed only by Islamic Sharia and applicable laws. Judicial decisions are based on applying legal provisions to the facts of each case.
Sheikh Dr. Walid bin Mohammed Al-Samaani, Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, reinforced this principle by stating that “there is no room for interpretation where a statutory provision exists,” adding that judicial discretion applies to the facts rather than the legal text.
In this context, AI is being positioned as a support tool capable of analysing data, identifying patterns and connecting information. Its applications may help judges and court personnel review case documents, research judicial precedents and improve procedural consistency while leaving legal classification, reasoning and final judgments entirely to the judge.
AI tools may also reduce unintended human bias by presenting and analysing information objectively, although they do not intervene in judicial conviction or the application of legal provisions.
The approach is reflected in the digital transformation led by the Saudi Ministry of Justice through the Najiz platform, which supports the litigation process from filing and referral to jurisdiction assignment and the issuance of judicial instruments.
Current applications include the virtual enforcement court, intelligent models for transcribing and summarising court sessions, and Najiz’s smart assistant, which helps users select the correct type of claim before filing. The service is intended to reduce procedural errors and improve data quality.
The transformation is supported by Saudi Arabia’s national data infrastructure, including the Saudi Open Data Portal and application programming interfaces provided by government entities within privacy-focused governance frameworks. Initiatives such as Najiz Developers also encourage the technology community to build digital justice solutions and expand Arabic technical content.
The Ministry of Justice achieved the Innovation level in the 2024 Digital Transformation Index and recorded advanced results in the Digital Experience Maturity Index through Najiz.
Saudi Arabia’s approach demonstrates how AI can strengthen judicial services and operational efficiency while remaining a tool that supports, rather than replaces, human legal judgment.
