The 2022 Personal Status Law & Digital Contracts via Najiz
Promulgated in March 2022 under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 legal reforms, the *Nizam al-Ahwal al-Shakhsiyyah* (Personal Status Law) marked the end of decades of unpredictable judicial rulings. Prior to 2022, Saudi judges exercised broad discretion rooted in classical Hanbali jurisprudence. The new law provides clear statutory articles governing engagement, consent, Mahr, divorce, and custody.
All marriage contracts in Saudi Arabia are now 100% digitalized through the Ministry of Justice’s **Najiz** portal. Paper marriage certificates are obsolete. The licensed notary (*Ma’dhoon*) initiates the contract online, premarital medical screening results are pulled automatically from the "Sehhaty" health database, and both the bride, groom, and Wali receive instantaneous one-time passcodes (OTP) via their state *Absher* digital identity accounts to certify their direct, uncoerced consent.
Curbing Guardian Tyranny: The Fast-Tracked Adhl Lawsuit
In the past, conservative Saudi fathers could block their daughters from marrying qualified suitors—often to maintain control over their daughters’ government salaries or enforce rigid tribal endogamy. The 2022 Personal Status Law addressed this directly under Article 17.
Today, if a father refuses to permit a marriage to a suitor who satisfies religious suitability (*Kafa’ah*), the woman can submit an *Adhl* petition on the Najiz portal from her smartphone without setting foot in a courthouse. Family courts prioritize these cases: judges summon the father within 5 to 10 days. If the father fails to demonstrate a legitimate Sharia reason (such as active substance addiction or lack of financial capability in the groom), the judge immediately executes the marriage contract as her legal guardian.
Zawaj Misyar: Legal Validity vs. Practical Hazards
Zawaj Misyar (transient/traveler marriage) is legally recognized and officially registered in Saudi Arabia. In a Misyar marriage, all religious and civil requirements of a valid Nikah are fulfilled (Wali, witnesses, Mahr, and state registration), but the wife voluntarily contractually waives her right to continuous cohabitation (*Qasm*) and full financial maintenance (*Nafaqah*).
While popular among career-oriented divorcees, widows, or men seeking non-cohabiting secondary wives without maintaining a second full household, Misyar carries substantial social and emotional hazards. Although children born of Misyar unions possess 100% full civil rights, inheritance, and Saudi citizenship, these marriages suffer from exceptionally high divorce rates and lack the domestic stability of a conventional union.