JEDDAH: The Saudi Ministry of Justice has said its “paperless courts” project across the Kingdom is meant to contribute to reducing paper waste and saving the environment.
The ministry launched the initiative in 2017 to digitally connect courts, re-direct the majority of the procedures online, eliminate almost 90 percent of paperwork and save time and efforts for clients.
“We have emphasized the importance of paperless courts in terms of increasing efficiency, digitizing our services and all,” said Majid Al-Khamis, head of Corporate Communications in the ministry. “But what is also important to us, and what we see as valuable in this project, is its positive impact on the environment.
“This initiative will contribute to paper waste reduction, help protect the environment, and support the Kingdom’s future plans for waste management and transforming waste into clean energy projects,” Al-Khamis said.
According to research published by the General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection, Saudi Arabia generates more than 15 million tons of solid waste each year, and paper waste is the second largest type of solid waste after organic waste, making around 29 percent of the total solid waste.
These statistics made the ministry realize the importance of taking such an initiative.
The ministry also recently introduced a new e-service. The justice minister directed his ministry to start receiving requests for the implementation of the unified housing lease in the execution courts as an executive bond through the “unified lease contract,” after linking electronically with the Ministry of Housing.
The new lease offers applicants the right to apply directly to the Court of Execution in clear electronic proceedings.
The aim of this step is to reduce the flow of cases to the general courts. Under the new system, real estate owners can now apply through the “unified lease agreement,” which is registered in the electronic rental network, directly to the executive courts and departments, through the ministry’s portal, if the tenant does not pay the value of the rent when due.
