JEDDAH: The Ministry of Justice will permit women lawyers to practice the legal profession like their male counterparts from early next month.
The expert’s committee of the Council of Ministers sent to the ministry on Saturday the statutes governing entry of women lawyers to Saudi courts, where only men lawyers were allowed in the past.
According to a source, qualified women lawyers can approach the ministry to obtain the mandatory license to practice their profession.
“The statutes, which were drafted by the ministry and submitted for the approval of the experts’ committee, are expected to be implemented when the courts reopen after the Eid holidays,” Al-Watan daily reported quoting an informed source on Tuesday.
The new lawyers’ regulations do not differentiate between men and women practitioners of the profession, another source at the Saudi Human Rights Commission said.
“The statutes explain the existing system in Saudi courts and other judicial institutions. The statutes never distinguished between men and women in procedural matters,” the source said.
It added that the entry of women lawyers to the Saudi courts was awaiting the drafting of special terms and conditions for them to practice the profession.
The original proposal of the ministry, which was submitted to the experts’ committee earlier, stipulated that a woman should have a special and closed office, should deal with only women clients, and should not present cases directly at courts.
“The experts’ committee, on the other hand, discarded any distinction between lawyers on the basis of gender and decided to implement the same regulation to all,” the source said.
This means a woman lawyer can run her office with or without branch offices and serve male and female clients, as men lawyers have been doing. According to the existing regulations, a lawyer should inform the ministry the address of her office. However, she will have to face penal measures like her male counterparts when she commits any violation of the professional rules.
“The primary condition to obtain a lawyer’s license, for men or women, is to have a degree in the Shariah, other legal specializations or legal systems, or a diploma in legal studies issued by the Institute of Management after a university degree.
The conditions also include apprenticeship of three-year duration at an accredited lawyer’s office. It is also recommended that he or she should be experienced in teaching jurisprudence and principle of Islamic law in the universities, made postgraduate studies at other educational institutions in the Kingdom, or acquired experience in legal consultancy in international firms or in the Kingdom. Experience such as representing a client at the public prosecutor’s office or investigation agencies or the public notary offices will also be counted as additional qualifications to be eligible for the license.
Women lawyers to be allowed into Saudi courts next month
Women lawyers to be allowed into Saudi courts next month
Imam Abdul Rahman bin Faisal University wraps up Handis Hackathon 24
- 16 teams were nominated, showcasing projects across various specializations
DAMMAM: Imam Abdul Rahman bin Faisal University, represented by its Faculty of Engineering, has successfully concluded Handis Hackathon 24.
The event witnessed the participation of 88 male and female university students from the Eastern Province. It took place at the university’s headquarters in Dammam.
Dr. Murad Al-Thobaiti, dean of the faculty of engineering, said: “The event garnered significant participation from both male and female students within the university, as well as from other Saudi universities in the region.”
He said 16 teams were nominated, showcasing projects across various specializations.
Saudi Justice Ministry to host training conference
RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Justice is to hold the International Conference of Judicial Training in Riyadh from May 6-7.
The Judicial Training Center hosts the event which will see the participation of several international training institutes, centers, and experts in the field of judicial and legal training. The objective is to facilitate the exchange of experiences and deliberations on contemporary trends in the era of digital transformation.
Called “The Future of Judicial Training in the Era of Digital Transformation,” the event will delve into the prospects of training in the future. It will explore paths for enhancing training content; strategies for harnessing modern technology; artificial intelligence in judicial training; and effective methodologies for measuring the training’s impact.
Saudi energy minister attends Tashkent International Investment Forum
TASHKENT: Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Thursday participated in the primary dialogue session at the third Tashkent International Investment Forum.
In the presence of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the energy minister highlighted the distinguished relations between the two nations, emphasizing the leadership’s strong commitment to enhancing and expanding cooperation across all sectors, particularly energy.
The partnership aims to benefit both countries and their citizens.
Who’s Who: Ali Alhasan, CEO and founder of NanoPalm
- Alhasan co-developed deep tech to leverage large language models for biotech discovery
- He was granted the Outstanding Researcher Award from the International Institute for Nanotechnology in 2012
Ali Alhasan is CEO and founder of the company NanoPalm. He holds a Ph.D. in nanomedicine, with expertise in nano-drug delivery and gene therapy and five years of experience in executive management.
In his role as CEO, Alhasan formulates the strategic and business plans for accelerating therapy translation globally and trains talents in deep tech, nanotech, and gene editing tech.
Alhasan co-developed deep tech to leverage large language models for biotech discovery. He also co-invented Nanopalm’s biorobots for the delivery of gene editing primers and helped discover four nanomedicines for four different genetic diseases.
He is also an associate professor at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and an adjunct professor at Alfaisal University, establishing collaboration agreements between the two.
As associate professor, he is the principal researcher for development and innovation in nanomedicine and the fourth industrial revolution.
In his role as adjunct professor, Alhasan teaches nanomedicine and mentors postgraduate and undergraduate students. He also co-established the Cancer Nanoscience Program.
Previously, Alhasan served in executive leadership roles at KACST as deputy at the Joint Centers of Excellence Program (2021), deputy of the Life Science and Environment Research Institute (2020), director of the Center of Excellence for Biomedicine (2020), and director of Strategic Initiatives (2016).
Alhasan was a post-doctoral scholar at the University of California in 2015 and received his Ph.D. in the Interdepartmental Biological Sciences Program from Northwestern University in 2013.
In 2008, he received a master’s degree in biotechnology also from Northwestern University, while in 2001, he received his bachelor’s degree in medical technology from King Abdulaziz University.
Alhasan was granted the Leader of the Year award from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in 2024. In 2018, he received the Outstanding Investigator Award from KACST.
He was granted the Outstanding Researcher Award from the International Institute for Nanotechnology in 2012.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan speaks with Swiss foreign minister
- two ministers discussed developments of common interest and efforts made by both countries in those areas
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke on the phone with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis on Thursday.
During the call, the two ministers discussed developments of common interest and efforts made by both countries in those areas, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Cassis was in the Kingdom last month to attend the Special Meeting of the World Economic Forum held in Riyadh on April 28 and 29, during which he met with Prince Faisal.
Prince Faisal and Cassis also met earlier in the year in February during UN meetings in Geneva.
