What to do in case of Car Accident in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Step by Step Guide (Updated)

Originally Posted on Tuesday, December 3, 2013:

 

On 27th November 2013 I had my 1st car accident in KSA which required calling Najm service. If you are unaware about Najm service then:

Najm Insurance Services has emerged primarily from the desire of the National Insurance Committee to ease, develop and facilitate all accidents associated procedures in the kingdom. The companies focused strategy has created the perfect platform to address and highlight challenges and opportunities within the Motor Insurance Services Sectors stressing on providing comfort to all related accident parties which assist in obtaining a smooth and streamlined workflow within insurance companies. In a view of that Najm Insurance Services was formulated to endow a variety of service within the Motor Insurance Services Sector, starting with liability Determination service as in identifying traffic accidents’ responsibility percentages through highly trained & qualified representatives only under the condition of a valid insurance policy obtained by one of the related parties at least, such practice is obtained by using the uppermost advanced computer systems complying with latest international standards, implemented by elite Saudi calibers with high degree of professionalism. (Source: http://www.nisc.com.sa/index.php?id=1&lang=en)

 

It happened on Aruba Road between Takassusi and Prince Turki in front of car accessories shops. I went there to get my car’s battery replaced, I parked my car in front of the shops and took out the receipts from the dashboard and started searching for the receipt for the previous battery. Suddenly I heard/felt something striking with my car, when I looked up, a Ford Ranger had hit my car while reversing. I came out of the car to see the amount of damage, the right headlight was broken.

The other driver was an Arabic guy, I don’t know he belonged to which country but he was not Saudi. He said something in Arabic upon which I informed him I don’t know Arabic. The shopkeepers came there and he asked them something and they replied something and he started shouting on them. It seemed as if the shopkeeper told him that its his fault and he started reacting that its isn’t.

 

The shopkeepers tried to get our settlement by asking him to pay me the price of the light, he said he would only pay SR 170. I knew the headlight of H0nda Civic costs more than SR 1000 thus I didn’t accept the offer. The guy was also acting very hyper and was shouting etc. thus I didn’t feel to give him any favor and thus we agreed to call Najm (also known as marooj).

 

You should have the following documents:

• Driving License
• Istamara of the Car (The car should be at your name or you should be authorized to drive it)
• Iqama
• Car Insurance

 

I checked my ‘Al Rajhi Takaful’ car insurance card, (you can read about how I got it on this link:  How to get Car Insurance from Al Rajhi Takaful in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia–Step by Step Guide) it was mentioned that in case of accident plz call Najm (92000 0660) or ‘Al Rajhi’ (92000 4414). Considering that Najm service might not understand English I first tried to call ‘Al Rajhi’. I called them several times and waited for several minutes but no one picked up. Al Rajhi Takaful is considered to be a good insurance service and it is relatively expensive thus I was not expecting such service from them.

 

• As I was not left with any other options thus I called Najm, they had an option for English and the lady operator was very good in speaking and understanding English. She asked me about my location, any milestones near by, my car’s number and make, the other guy’s car’s number and make and she informed me that the Najm would be there within 1 hour. She also informed me that my complain number is 400.

 

• Later I read the whole procedure on their website which is as follows:

 

Procedures of reporting the accidents

In case you get in a traffic accident, please always….

- Make sure of your safety and anyone with you.

- Take great care when getting out of your vehicle.

 

Thus, it is essential to follow the following steps:

1. Notifying the traffic police if you don’t have a valid insurance policy in time of accident or in case that there are injuries or dead persons or fires.

2. Notifying the company if you do have a valid insurance policy in time of accident on our toll free customer service center no. 920000560.

3. Provide the basic information where possible (name of informer_ I.D / Iqama no._ mobile no. _ no. of car's plate_ the type of the car_ insurance policy no._ insurance company name_ city_ accident location_ any distinguished or outstanding signs of the accident).

4. Inform if the cars involved in the accident can be moved or not.

5. Be sure to note the number of the case and date of the accident (given by the recipient of the call center) to facilitate the procedure of following up you case with insurance company in the future.

 

Accidents that the Najm company didn’t monitor it

1. Accidents that happen outside the geographical coverage of Najm Company.

2. Accidents that result in death cases, injuries or fires, or a result of a natural disaster or criminal accident.

3. Accident where none of the parties to the accident have a valid insurance policy from one of the insurance companies operating in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and adopted by Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency.

 

The list of Najm recognized insurance companies:



 

It is essential to mention that Najm Company investigates the accidents without taking financial reward from the parties to the accident, and it is essential that one party to the accident should hold a valid insurance policy from one of the insurance companies operating in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and adopted by Arabian Monetary Agency. (Source: http://www.nisc.com.sa/index.php?id=25&lang=en)




Using Najm Mobile Application to Report Traffic Accident ~ Life in Saudi Arabia       http://life-in-saudiarabia.blogspot.com/2015/05/usi…         View Now



• I had heard that Najm service takes several hours to arrive but in my case I received a call from Najm in just 13 minutes and he confirm my location and arrived there in a minute. He knew enough English to communicate well, he listened to the other guy’s story and than my story and then he took pictures of the cars, requested me to provide him with Iqama, Istamara and Driving License and then he started preparing the accident report in his car. He requested the other guy to provide the insurance card as well. I had heard that the Najm service are biased to Arabic people and they put blame on you even if you are not on fault.

 

• After a few minutes he asked me to sign on that report, before signing I asked him about the conclusion of his report, he informed I have 0% fault and thus I shouldn’t worry. So he was very fair in his dealings. After that he gave me 3 papers:

 

• Accident Claim Information (small slip)
  • 

 

• Damage Assessment Form
  • 

 

• Vehicle Repair Authorization from Traffic Police Department
  • It exactly looked like the ‘Damage Assessment Form’.

 

• The procedure mentioned on these forms was as follows:

   

  Procedures after the accident:

  Go to the concerned authorities with the forms given to you by the surveyor, as follows:

  1. Secure a “repair authorization” from any of the respective Police Department using form given to you by Najm’s officer.

  2. Secure damage assessment quotation from workshops authorized by Traffic police department, or quotation from (Shaek Al Ma’Ared) authorized by Traffic Police Department which either been directed to using the form given to you by Najm’s officer.

  3. Take the “repair authorization” & damage assessment quotation from workshops or (Shaek Al Ma’Ared) to the insurance company within 48 hours.

  4. Secure approval or claim settlement from the Insurance Company for the repair of your vehicle.

   

  Note:

  If the non liable has a comprehensive insurance certificate he can go to his insurance company.

  Glad to serve you through our branches, for inquiries please contact us through call us on 018741150 – 018741160

  For complaints please contact us the E-MAIL: Care@najm.sa

  Website: http://www.nisc.com.sa/index.php?id=34&lang=en

 

• Next morning my Saudi colleague joined me to fulfill the above steps. (If you can take any Arabic speaking person with you, it would be o great help). We 1st went to Police Station on Abu Bakr Road to get the “repair authorization” form. We reached there at 7:43am and it was not open yet, it opens at 8am thus we waited. There were several windows with different labels in Arabic. You can see the queue of people carrying papers like that of yours’ to identify which window you have to approach.
  • Coordinates: 24.789988,46.679553
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• If you would like to visit Police Station in Malaz then the location is as follows:
• Coordinates: 24.677101,46.724053
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• The person at the window requested for the Istamara of my car and gave us the “repair authorization” form which was in Arabic, my colleague filled it with the required information, you can seek assistance with the people near by to fill it. After filling the form we returned it at the same window, they stamped and signed it and gave it back.
  • 

 

• Then we went to secure damage assessment quotation from workshops authorized by Traffic police department. This was situated in small sanaiya behind Euro Mache on Aruba Road. There we parked our car, paid SR 30 at the desk and a person did the assessment of the damage. He also checked the Istamara and then sent us to a near by spare parts shop for Quotation of the new headlight. The authorized Spare Parts shop number is 82, you can find the shop numbers on the boards of the shops. That shop also took SR 30 and gave us the quotation. Then we came back to the assessment center and there they prepared 3 receipts and stamped them after checking our papers and kept the “Damage Assessment Form” with them.
  • 
  • Coordinates: 24.704318,46.659868
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• If you would like to visit Damage Assessment Center in Sanaiya Qadim then the location is as follows:
• Coordinates: 24.634033,46.74442
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• After that we went to the Insurance company’s office of the guy who had hit my car, to claim the money. It was Malath Insurance Company, upon entering their office there were separate sections for submitting your papers and collecting cheques. We submitted our papers, the guy at the counter gave me a form to fill, the form was in English. The information required was contact information and how the accident happened. Upon completing this form he signed it and gave me its copy and informed me that I can come back after 24 days to get my cheque. We checked if the money can be transferred in my bank account so that I don’t have to come back for the cheque, they gave me another form on which I filled the IBAN number of my Al Rajhi Bank Account. (if you want to open an account in Al Rajhi bank then you can read this link: How to get a bank account in Al Rajhi Bank Saudi Arabia–Step by Step Guide)
  • Coordinates: 24.772785,46.755697
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• After that I went to Honda spares part shop in Umul Hammam to buy a new headlight. After discount it cost me SR 950.
  • Coordinates: 24.701179,46.654139
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• Then I went to a Denter Workshop to get the light replaced in Umul Hammam. After discount it cost me SR 80. The shop number was 43.
  • Coordinates: 24.70022,46.65464

    
    View Larger Map

 

And that’s it. My car was now better than it was before the accident and now I am waiting for the money from Malath Insurance Company.

 

For more car services related locations you can check this link: Locations of Car Repair & Servicing Workshops in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

 

Thanks Wasif Kamal for sharing the Spare Parts Shop Number.

 

-urShadow