Article 48 of the Saudi Arbitration Law
المادة 48 من نظام التحكيم · الفصل: في الدعوى التحكيمية
The article allows either party, within 30 days of receiving the award, to ask for an additional award on requests submitted but omitted by the award; the tribunal issues it within 60 days, extendable by 30 days.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يجوز لكل من طرفي التحكيم ولو بعد انتهاء ميعاد التحكيم ، أن يطلب من هيئة التحكيم خلال الثلاثين يوماً التالية لتسلمه حكم التحكيم ؛ إصدار حكم تحكيم إضافي في طلبات قدمت خلال الإجراءات وأغفلها حكم التحكيم. ويجب إبلاغ الطرف الآخر على عنوانه الموضح في حكم التحكيم بهذا الطلب قبل تقديمه لهيئة التحكيم.
2- تصدر هيئة التحكيم حكمها خلال ستين يوماً من تاريخ تقديم الطلب ، ويجوز لها مد هذا الميعاد ثلاثين يوماً أخرى إذا رأت ضرورة لذلك.
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 48 explained in plain English
An arbitral award may omit deciding one of the requests submitted during the proceedings. This article deals with that without the need for a new arbitration.
- Who requests and when? Either party, even after the arbitration period has ended, may ask the tribunal, within the 30 days following its receipt of the award, to issue an additional arbitral award.
- The subject of the request: Requests submitted during the proceedings that the award omitted. The article therefore does not cover new requests that were never put before the tribunal.
- Notifying the opponent: The other party must be notified of the request, at its address stated in the award, before it is submitted to the tribunal.
- Period for the additional award: The tribunal issues it within 60 days of the date the request was submitted, and may extend this period by a further 30 days if it considers it necessary.
Note that the phrase "even after the arbitration period has ended" means that the expiry of the arbitration period does not prevent this request from being submitted. This article complements Article 47, which deals with correcting purely clerical or arithmetical errors in the award, whereas this article concerns a request that was not decided at all.
Because the 30-day period runs from the date of receiving the award, anyone who notices that the award did not deal with one of their requests would do well to consult a lawyer who specializes in arbitration and commercial cases quickly.
Practical example
During arbitration, a transport company in Jeddah claimed overdue fares and compensation for delay in loading. The award granted the fares and did not deal with the compensation request. The company may, within 30 days of receiving the award, ask for an additional award on the compensation request, after notifying the other party at its address stated in the award.
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 48 of the Saudi Arbitration Law
What do I do if the arbitral award did not decide one of my requests?
Within 30 days of receiving the award, you may ask the arbitral tribunal to issue an additional arbitral award on the request the award omitted.
Can an additional award be requested after the arbitration period has ended?
Yes. The article provides that the request is permitted even after the arbitration period has ended.
What is the period for issuing the additional award?
The tribunal issues it within 60 days of the request being submitted, and may extend this by a further 30 days if it considers it necessary.
More articles on The Arbitral Award
- Article 38
The article sets the rules the tribunal applies to the subject of the dispute, without contravening Islamic Sharia or public order, and allows an award by conciliation if it is expressly authorized.
1- مع مراعاة عدم مخالفة أحكام الشريعة الإسلامية والنظام العام بالمملكة، على هيئة التحكيم أثناء نظر النزاع الآتي: أ - تطبيق القواعد التي يتفق عليها طرفا التحكيم
- Article 39
The article regulates how the tribunal issues its award by majority after secret deliberation, the choice of a casting arbitrator when no majority is possible, and procedural decisions and interim and partial awards.
1- يصدر حكم هيئة التحكيم المشكلة من أكثر من محكم واحد بأغلبية أعضائها بعد مداولة سرية. 2- إذا تشعبت آراء هيئة التحكيم ولم يكن ممكناً حصول الأغلبية فلهيئة التحكي
- Article 40
The article sets the period for issuing the award ending the dispute (as agreed by the parties, or twelve months), the possibility of extending it, and what the parties may do when it passes.
1- على هيئة التحكيم إصدار الحكم المنهي للخصومة كلها خلال الميعاد الذي اتفق عليه طرفا التحكيم، فإن لم يكن هناك اتفاق وجب أن يصدر الحكم خلال اثني عشر شهراً من تار
- Article 41
The article sets when arbitration proceedings end, provides that they do not end on the death or loss of capacity of a party, and that the tribunal's mission ends when the proceedings end.
1- تنتهي إجراءات التحكيم بصدور الحكم المنهي للخصومة، أو بصدور قرار من هيئة التحكيم بإنهاء الإجراءات في الأحوال الآتية: أ - إذا اتفق طرفا التحكيم على إنهاء التحك
- Article 42
The article requires the arbitral award to be written, reasoned and signed by the arbitrators or a majority of them, and lists the details it must contain.
1- يصدر حكم التحكيم كتابة ويكون مسبباً، ويوقعه المحكمون، وفي حالة تشكيل هيئة التحكيم من أكثر من محكم واحد يُكتفى بتوقيعات أغلبية المحكمين بشرط أن يثبت في محضر ا
- Article 43
The article requires each party to be given a true copy of the award within 15 days of its issuance, and prohibits publishing the award or any part of it without the written consent of both parties.
1- تُسلّم هيئة التحكيم إلى كل من طرفي التحكيم صورة طبق الأصل من حكم التحكيم خلال خمسة عشر يوماً من تاريخ صدوره. 2- لا يجوز نشر حكم التحكيم أو جزء منه إلا بموافق
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.