Banking Customer Disputes in Saudi Arabia: How to Get Your Rights Against the Bank | Nova Legal

How to File a Complaint Against a Bank in Saudi Arabia: The Three-Tier Path

A dispute doesn't start in a hearing room — it starts with a complaint that escalates in order, and skipping between stages isn't accepted:

• Stage one: an internal complaint with the bank itself. A mandatory step in the process. File your complaint through the bank's official channels — the bank is required to respond within ten business days of receiving it, under the central bank's instructions, with this period shortened to five business days specifically in cases of fraud. SAMA won't accept an escalated complaint before this deadline has passed without a satisfactory response from the bank.
• Stage two: escalation to the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA). The complaint is escalated through the "Submit a Complaint Against Financial Institutions" service on the central bank's portal via the national single sign-on. In July 2025, the "Complaint Management System" replaced the "SAMA Cares" platform, under Circular No. (1185) dated 6/1/1447H. For follow-up: call center 8001256666, or email CPDC@SAMA.GOV.SA.
• Stage three: a case before the competent disputes committee. If escalation doesn't resolve the matter, the case is filed before the specialized judicial committee using the unified form matching the nature of the dispute, with full documentation, detailed in the next two sections.

The golden rule: cheap documentation settles the dispute. Keep the contract, account statements, deduction notices, correspondence, and your previous complaint reference numbers — the case will be built on these later.

Complaining or Litigating? The Banking Disputes Committee and How the Two Routes Differ

The most common confusion is mixing up the supervisory complaint with the judicial case. A complaint with the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) verifies institutions' compliance with regulations, while a case before the committee decides an individual dispute with a ruling binding on both parties. The central bank regulated this framework under the Saudi Central Bank Law (M/36), issued by Royal Decree No. (M/36) dated 11/4/1442H — we cover its governance and performance standards in detail in our article on Governance of Banks and Financial Institutions: Key Principles Under SAMA's Frameworks.

Under Circular No. (1185), the central bank also requires financial institutions to meet quarterly performance indicators measuring the quality of complaint handling and the rate of complaints accepted for escalation — so a well-documented complaint is a supervisory tool that pushes the bank to take you seriously before the matter ever reaches a judicial committee.

A Customer's Rights Before the Banking Disputes Committee

The committee was established to settle disputes between banks and their customers, and became a judicial adjudication body under Royal Order No. (37441) dated 11/8/1433H. It's organized into circuits, each made up of three members and one alternate member with regulatory qualifications and expertise in financial transactions, with at least one member holding sharia qualifications, appointed by royal order for four years. The key protections the system guarantees the customer:

• Decisive jurisdiction in the customer's favor: the committee decides original banking disputes and related disputes where one party is a bank, under its rules of procedure issued by royal order dated 4/1/1438H.
• Electronic litigation through unified forms: filing a case and tracking it electronically through the General Secretariat of Committees' website, using unified forms categorized by the nature of the dispute — credit card, ATM, personal financing, frozen account, current account.
• Territorial jurisdiction favoring the customer: under territorial jurisdiction rules issued by a dedicated royal order, a case is heard at the customer's place of residence, whether they are the claimant or the defendant. If the customer files against the bank or finance company, they file at their own place of residence; if the bank or finance company files against its customer, the case is still heard at the customer's place of residence. Cases between two banking or financing entities, however, fall under the defendant's place of residence. The committee's circuits are accordingly spread across Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah to make this easier.
• Established principles the committee weighs in the customer's favor: no rescheduling merely because of a reduced salary, no debt waiver for medical incapacity alone without proof, a joint guarantee only ends through payment or release, and PIN-authenticated transactions are presumed valid.
• Protective tools after judgment: requesting a stay of enforcement and certification of the enforceable instrument, under the procedures published for each branch.

That said, a decision from the committee of first instance can be challenged before the Appellate Committee for Banking Disputes and Violations within thirty days, and the appellate committee's decisions are final and legally conclusive — which is exactly where drafting a precise, well-timed objection memorandum earns its value.

Litigation Procedures in Banking Disputes: From the Unified Form to the Ruling

Banking dispute procedures are strict, and avoiding rejection at the first stage is essential. Here's a summary of the path:

• The unified form comes first: the case is filed electronically through the General Secretariat's platform using the unified form matching the nature of the dispute — an incomplete form or the wrong legal characterization is a direct cause for rejection.
• A complete statement of claim: the parties' details and the facts of the dispute stated clearly, along with the relief sought, accompanied by the contract, account statements, notices, and correspondence.
• Review and response: the competent circuit takes up the case and hears both parties' evidence, through a procedural cycle managed electronically that can be easily tracked.
• Decision and appeal: the committee issues a reasoned decision, which can be challenged before the Appellate Committee within thirty days. Once the matter is finally decided, the enforceable instrument is certified for enforcement, with means available to stay enforcement where needed.

The bottom line: any delay or error in legal characterization can be held against you — Nova Legal recommends reviewing your file in advance of filing, since a legal check beforehand is cheaper than fixing the fallout of a rejection.

Litigating Against Finance Companies: When Does the Financing Committee Take Over?

Disputes with finance companies supervised by the central bank follow a distinct judicial path through the Committee for Resolution of Financing Violations and Disputes. Many people make the mistake of approaching the Banking Disputes Committee for a financing case, only to have the request rejected for lack of jurisdiction:

• Real estate financing: cases arising from real estate finance contracts fall outside the Banking Disputes Committee's jurisdiction — jurisdiction belongs to the Financing Committee.
• Finance leases: the same applies to finance lease contracts — jurisdiction belongs exclusively to the Financing Committee.
• Purely banking disputes: disputes over accounts, cards, transfers, and bank loans remain within the Banking Disputes Committee's jurisdiction.
• Pledged shares as a related matter: the committee has no jurisdiction over share disputes as a standalone matter, unless the shares in dispute are pledged as security for a financing contract — in which case the dispute falls within its jurisdiction as a matter related to the financing contract.

This is where a legal review before filing proves its worth — the correct form can only be built once the contract has been properly characterized. That's precisely where Nova Legal's office legal consultation comes in: our team reviews your file and identifies the competent committee, the correct form, and the right strategy before any formal commitment.

Why Route a Banking Dispute Through a Specialized Lawyer?

A banking dispute is a complex file made up of a contract, statements, central bank rules, and established principles set by the committees — and a specialized lawyer's role goes well beyond appearing before the committee:

• Analyzing the contract, statements, and correspondence, and pulling out whatever supports your position as it comes up.
• Choosing the right committee and completing the unified form correctly, so your request isn't rejected.
• Drafting the statement of claim or the objection memorandum with precise legal grounds, within the statutory deadlines.
• Representing you at hearings and following through on enforcement or a stay, as needed.
• Pursuing an amicable settlement when it's faster and cheaper for the client.

Nova Legal provides all of this through our banking and financial legal services, which cover client representation in banking disputes and claims arising from loans, documentary credits, and letters of guarantee, advisory on Islamic finance and sukuk, and settlements that protect the client's interests where financial distress arises.

Frequently Asked Questions About Banking Customer Disputes in Saudi Arabia

Conclusion: Your Banking Rights Are a Process, Not a One-Off Complaint

A customer doesn't need argumentative skill so much as a procedural roadmap — a banking dispute follows a disciplined, staged path: a documented complaint with the bank, then escalation to the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), then a case before a specialized judicial committee with published principles, and an appeal within thirty days before the committee that has the final word.

If you're facing a banking dispute or a financing claim, start by putting your file in order and consult a specialist before filing formally — one misstep in the wrong place can cost you many times the fee of a consultation. The banking and financial disputes team at Nova Legal in Al-Ishbiliyah, Riyadh, is ready for your file from the first stage through to certification of the enforceable instrument.