Article 13 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Arbitration Law
المادة 13 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام التحكيم
The article allows the arbitral tribunal to accept a non-party intervening in the arbitration or being brought in, after the consent of the parties and of the party to be brought in.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لهيئة التحكيم قبول تدخل طرف آخر من غير أطراف التحكيم أو إدخاله، وذلك بعد موافقة أطراف التحكيم والطرف المطلوب إدخاله.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 13 explained in plain English
This article of the Regulations deals with a new person entering an existing arbitration, and ties this to consent.
It covers two situations:
- Intervention: a non-party intervenes in the arbitration.
- Joinder: a non-party is brought into the arbitration.
The arbitral tribunal may accept this, but after the consent of:
- the parties to the arbitration; and
- the party to be brought in.
If the consent the text requires is not obtained, the tribunal has no power to accept under this article. Even when it is obtained, acceptance remains discretionary: the text says "the arbitral tribunal may accept" and does not oblige it to.
The article does not state the procedures for filing a request for intervention or joinder, the form of consent, or a set time for it.
This article comes among the provisions of the Regulations governing the course of the proceedings, alongside Article 12 on the decision appointing an expert, and Article 14, under which the award is pronounced after the close of pleadings.
Anyone who thinks they have an interest in an existing arbitration, or is asked to enter one, should consult a lawyer who specializes in arbitration and commercial cases before giving their consent.
Practical example
In an arbitration between a main contracting company in Riyadh and a project owner, the company considered that a subcontractor had a direct connection to the dispute. The arbitral tribunal can bring him in only with the consent of the owner and the company, and the consent of the subcontractor himself.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 13 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Arbitration Law
Can a third party be brought into arbitration?
Yes. The arbitral tribunal may accept a non-party intervening or being brought in, after the consent of the parties to the arbitration and of the party to be brought in.
Can I be brought into an arbitration I am not a party to without my consent?
The article requires the consent of the party to be brought in, in addition to the consent of the parties to the arbitration.
More articles on Arbitration Procedures and Request for Arbitration
- Article 8
The article requires the arbitral tribunal, if it chooses the procedures itself because the parties did not agree on them, to notify the parties of those procedures at least ten days before they take effect.
إذا لم يتفق طرفا التحكيم على الإجراءات التي تتبعها هيئة التحكيم، وقامت الهيئة باختيار إجراءات التحكيم التي تراها مناسبة وفقاً لحكم الفقرة (2) من المادة (الخامسة
- Article 9
The article lists the particulars a request for arbitration must contain, and provides that a dispute over their sufficiency does not prevent the arbitral tribunal from being formed, and the tribunal decides it.
1 - على طالب التحكيم تضمين طلب التحكيم - المنصوص عليه في المادة (السادسة والعشرين) من النظام - البيانات الآتية: أ - اسمه، واسم من يمثله - إن وجد - ومهنة كل منهم
- Article 11
If there are several parties to the arbitration, the proceedings begin on the day the last party receives the request for arbitration.
إذا تعددت أطراف التحكيم، تبدأ الإجراءات من اليوم الذي يتسلم فيه آخر طرف طلب التحكيم.
- Article 12
The article sets what the tribunal's decision appointing an expert must state, the effect of not depositing the advance for his expenses, and the tribunal's power if the expert is late with his report without an acceptable excuse.
1- على هيئة التحكيم أن تبين في قرارها المتعلق بتعيين الخبير مهمته والتدابير العاجلة التي يؤذن له في اتخاذها، والميعاد المحدد لإيداع التقرير، وتقدير أتعابه، ومبل
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.