This week, Saudi Arabia made headlines again, this time for granting 12 women notarization licenses with all the powers usually granted to only male notaries. The news was announced by the Saudi Ministry of Justice (MoJ), which pointed out that, to date, there are 1,313 licensed private notaries in the Kingdom, all of them male.
With this new development made in Saudi Arabia, women who become notaries can now issue and cancel powers of attorney, as well as certify documents during transfer of property rights or establishing companies.
“Private notaries can issue and cancel powers of attorney (PoAs), and notarise corporate charters and property conveyances. Their private offices work in the morning and evening, seven days a week, using an integrated digital system,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The private notarisation service (Mwathiq) is one of the ministry’s National Transformation Program (NTP) 2020 initiatives, aiming at enhancing notarial efficiency for individuals and companies by involving the private sector. This will bring about more privatisation of justice services and boost the national economy in accordance with Saudi Vision 2030,” the ministry added.
Speaking to Saudi Gazette, one recently licensed female notary explained that she and others are excited about the opportunity to pursue a profession only recently made available to women.
“We are the first to join this busy profession, but we expect many women to join us soon […] There is so much to learn, issuing and canceling power of attorneys, notarizing documents and other legal services we offer help us learn and understand the legal system,” she explained.
According to RT, the private notarization service was introduced in Saudi Arabia last February, reported to be one of the most important services assigned to the private sector by the MoJ. The system has been developed and is operated by Thiqah for Business Services, a government company owned by the Saudi Authority for Accredited Valuers (TAQEEM), and the Saudi Organization for Certified Public Accountants (SOCPA).
