Article 8 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Arbitration Law
المادة 8 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام التحكيم
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 والعشرين) من النظام، تعين على الهيئة إشعار طرفا التحكيم بتلك الإجراءات، وذلك قبل بدء العمل بها بعشرة أيام على الأقل.
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 8 explained in plain English
This article of the Regulations deals with the case where the two parties to arbitration do not agree on the procedures the arbitral tribunal follows, so the tribunal chooses the procedures it considers appropriate under paragraph (2) of Article 25 of the Arbitration Law.
In this case the article places an obligation on the tribunal:
- the arbitral tribunal must notify the two parties of the procedures it has chosen;
- and the notice must be given at least ten days before they take effect.
This lets each party know in advance the rules the arbitration will follow, so it can prepare for them and arrange its defense and documents accordingly.
This obligation is tied to two conditions stated in the text: that the parties do not agree on the procedures, and that the tribunal chooses the procedures itself. If the parties have agreed on the procedures, this article does not apply. The article does not specify the form of the notice.
This article is linked to Article 9 of the Regulations, which specifies the particulars to be included in the request for arbitration and makes disagreement over the sufficiency of those particulars a matter for the arbitral tribunal to decide. "The Law" here means the Arbitration Law, according to Article 1 of the Regulations.
Anyone entering an arbitration without agreement on procedures should follow the tribunal's notice, and consult a lawyer who specializes in arbitration and commercial cases if they have something to say about the chosen procedures.
Practical example
A dispute arose between a technology company in Riyadh and a customer, and they did not agree on the arbitration procedures. The arbitral tribunal chose procedures that include dates for submitting memoranda, so it had to notify the two parties of them at least ten days before they take effect.
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 8 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Arbitration Law
Who sets the arbitration procedures if the parties do not agree?
The arbitral tribunal chooses the procedures it considers appropriate under paragraph (2) of Article 25 of the Law.
Must the arbitral tribunal notify the parties of the procedures?
Yes. If it chose the procedures itself because the parties did not agree, it must notify them at least ten days before they take effect.
More articles on Arbitration Procedures and Request for Arbitration
- 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
- Article 13
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.
لهيئة التحكيم قبول تدخل طرف آخر من غير أطراف التحكيم أو إدخاله، وذلك بعد موافقة أطراف التحكيم والطرف المطلوب إدخاله.
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.