Article 13 of the Saudi Judicial Costs Law

This Article decides who ultimately bears the judicial costs.

Paragraph 1 – when a judgment is issued:

• The party against whom judgment is given bears the costs set for the case and the requests connected with it, or a share of them, unless the Law or the Implementing Regulations provide otherwise.
• If the plaintiff was not entitled to part of their claims, they bear the share for that part.
• This is without prejudice to the right of those concerned to claim compensation; bearing costs is one thing, and compensation for harm is another thing that may be claimed.

Paragraph 2 – on settlement: if the case ends in settlement, its parties bear the costs equally, unless they agree on another distribution. It is therefore useful for a settlement agreement to include an express term saying who bears the costs.

The phrase "unless the Law or the Implementing Regulations provide otherwise" means this general rule has exceptions elsewhere in the Law or in the Implementing Regulations. This Article follows Article 12 on the effect of non-payment, and is followed by Article 14, which makes the final assessment of costs an enforceable instrument if the case ends in judgment without the costs being collected.

To find out the share you may bear in your case, you can consult a lawyer specialized in litigation and procedure.