Article 12 of the Saudi Arbitration Law
المادة 12 من نظام التحكيم · الباب الثاني: اتفاق التحكيم
The article requires the competent court to refer the dispute to arbitration if the parties agree to arbitrate while it is being heard, subject to paragraph (1) of Article 9.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
مع مراعاة ما ورد في الفقرة (1) من المادة (التاسعة) من هذا النظام؛ إذا تم الاتفاق على التحكيم أثناء نظر النزاع أمام المحكمة المختصة، وجب عليها أن تقرر إحالة النزاع إلى التحكيم.
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 12 explained in plain English
This article deals with a situation where the dispute is already before the competent court, and the parties then decide during it to resolve the dispute by arbitration.
What does the article provide?
- If arbitration is agreed while the dispute is before the competent court, the court must decide to refer the dispute to arbitration.
- The referral here is a duty on the court and not a discretionary matter, once the agreement is made.
- This is subject to what is stated in paragraph (1) of Article 9 of the Law, as the article expressly says; that is, the agreement must meet what that paragraph requires.
The difference between this article and Article 11 is clear: Article 11 deals with an arbitration agreement existing before the action is brought, and requires ruling it inadmissible if the defendant pleads it before any request or defense. This article deals with an agreement made during the hearing of the dispute, and its effect is referring the dispute to arbitration.
Article 13 follows to begin the provisions on forming the arbitral tribunal, requiring the number of arbitrators to be odd, or the arbitration is void.
If you are a party to a pending action and are thinking of moving it to arbitration, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in arbitration and commercial cases to draft the agreement properly.
Practical example
A court is hearing a dispute between two partners in a commercial establishment in Jeddah over the distribution of profits. During the hearing, the partners agreed to resolve their disagreement by arbitration. Under this article, the court must decide to refer the dispute to arbitration, subject to what is stated in paragraph (1) of Article 9.
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 12 of the Saudi Arbitration Law
Can a case be moved from court to arbitration after it is filed?
Yes. If the parties agree to arbitration while the dispute is being heard, the competent court must decide to refer it to arbitration, subject to paragraph (1) of Article 9.
May the court refuse to refer to arbitration after the parties agree?
The article provides that the court must decide to refer the dispute to arbitration if arbitration is agreed while it is being heard, subject to paragraph (1) of Article 9.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Arbitration Agreement
- Article 1
The article defines three key terms in the Arbitration Law: the arbitration agreement, the arbitral tribunal and the competent court.
تدل العبارات الآتية الواردة في هذا النظام على المعاني الموضحة أمامها، ما لم يقتض السياق خلاف ذلك : 1 - اتفاق التحكيم : هو اتفاق بين طرفين أو أكثر على أن يحيلا إ
- Article 5
The article requires applying the provisions of any document, such as a model contract or international agreement, to which the parties agree to subject their relationship, so long as it does not contravene Islamic Sharia.
إذا اتفق طرفا التحكيم على إخضاع العلاقة بينهما لأحكام أي وثيقة (عقد نموذجي، أو اتفاقية دولية أو غيرهما)، وجب العمل بأحكام هذه الوثيقة بما تشمله من أحكام خاصة با
- Article 9
The article allows an arbitration agreement to precede or follow a dispute, requires it to be in writing or it is void, and sets out the accepted forms of writing.
1- يجوز أن يكون اتفاق التحكيم سابقاً على قيام النزاع سواء أكان مستقلاً بذاته، أم ورد في عقد معين. كما يجوز أن يكون اتفاق التحكيم لاحقاً لقيام النزاع، وإن كانت ق
- Article 10Amended by M/21
The article requires capacity to dispose for a valid arbitration agreement, and allows government bodies to agree to arbitration only with the Prime Minister's approval unless a special statutory provision permits it.
1- لا يصح الاتفاق على التحكيم إلا ممن يكون أهلاً للتصرف سواء أكان شخصاً ذا صفة طبيعية أم شخصاً ذا صفة اعتبارية 2 - لا يجوز للجهات الحكومية الاتفاق على التحكيم إ
- Article 11
The article requires a court seized of a dispute covered by an arbitration agreement to rule the action inadmissible if the defendant raises this before any request or defense, and provides that the action does not stop the arbitration.
1- يجب على المحكمة التي يرفع إليها نزاع يوجد في شأنه اتفاق تحكيم أن تحكم بعدم جواز نظر الدعوى إذا دفع المدعى عليه بذلك قبل أي طلب أو دفاع في الدعوى. 2 - لا يحول
- Article 20
The article makes the arbitral tribunal decide pleas of its own lack of jurisdiction, sets the time for raising them, and limits appeal of a refusal to an action to annul the award that ends the whole dispute.
1- تفصل هيئة التحكيم في الدفوع المتعلقة بعدم اختصاصها بما في ذلك الدفوع المبنيّة على عدم وجود اتفاق تحكيم، أو سقوطه، أو بطلانه، أو عدم شموله لموضوع النزاع. 2- ي
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.