Minister of Justice: Directives from the Prime Minister's Highness to establish judicial circuits to settle private housing contract disputes

Justice Minister and Advisor Nasser Al-Samait announced a move to draft legislation regulating the establishment of specialized judicial circuits to adjudicate disputes related to private housing construction contracts, following direct instructions from His Highness Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah. The initiative aims to expedite case resolutions and protect the rights of citizens harmed by stalled construction projects or contractors’ failure to fulfill their contractual obligations.

Al-Samait confirmed that disputes concerning private housing construction reached approximately 2,200 cases in 2025, noting that the Ministry of Justice is currently preparing the necessary legislation to regulate this system, enabling more specialized and efficient handling of such cases. He explained that the initiative includes assigning judges to hear private housing construction disputes, thereby accelerating litigation procedures and resolving conflicts within shorter timeframes. This is particularly important given that these cases directly affect citizens, their families’ stability, and their financial commitments.

The Justice Minister added that the project also involves establishing a specialized unit within the General Administration of Experts, assigning accountant and engineering experts to investigate assignments related to this type of dispute. This will ensure faster completion of expert assessments with a higher degree of specialization and accuracy, facilitating the completion of necessary procedures for case resolution.

He clarified that the Ministry of Justice is working on establishing the legal framework governing these procedures, including the creation of specialized judicial circuits and protocols for utilizing necessary technical and accounting expertise to investigate disputes, paving the way for developing the process of handling residential construction cases and accelerating their resolution.

This step comes amid complaints regarding the halt of some residential construction projects or contractors’ failure to meet their contractual obligations after receiving financial installments from plot owners, prompting affected parties to seek judicial recourse to recover their funds or claim compensation for damages incurred.

Drafting the legislation represents a step toward developing mechanisms for handling residential construction disputes, supporting the protection of citizens’ rights, aiding in the redress of victims, safeguarding the rights of contracting parties, and mitigating the financial and housing impacts resulting from stalled residential construction projects.