Saudi Arabia accedes to the Apostille Convention

Today, 8 April 2022, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention).

The ceremony was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Depositary for the HCCH Conventions. Saudi Arabia was represented by H.E. Mr Ziad Al Atiyah, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mr Nasser Alghanoom, Deputy Head of Mission and Minister Plenipotentiary, and Mr Meshal Al Blawi, Head of Political and Economic Affairs. The Depositary was represented by Mr Jules van Eijndhoven, Head of the Treaties Division, and Mr Rieks Boekholt, Legal Officer, while the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH was represented by Dr Christophe Bernasconi, Secretary General, Mr Brody Warren, Attaché to the Secretary General, and Ms Nicole Sims, Legal Officer.

The Apostille Convention will enter into force for Saudi Arabia on 7 December 2022. With this accession, the Apostille Convention now has 122 Contracting Parties. More information on this Convention is available on the Apostille Section of the HCCH website.

Saudi Arabia has been a Member of the HCCH since 2016 and the Apostille Convention is the first HCCH Convention or instrument that it has joined.