Article 5 of the Saudi Arbitration Law
المادة 5 من نظام التحكيم · الباب الأول: أحكام عامة
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 بالتحكيم، وذلك بما لا يخالف أحكام الشريعة الإسلامية.
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 5 explained in plain English
Contracting parties often do not write all the terms themselves, but agree to subject their relationship to a ready-made document, such as a model contract common in a particular sector, or an international agreement, or something else. This article provides that this agreement is binding.
What does the article provide?
- If the parties to arbitration agree to subject the relationship between them to the provisions of a document, its provisions must be applied.
- This includes the document's provisions specific to arbitration, such as the procedures or how the tribunal is formed.
- The only restriction the article states: that this does not contravene the provisions of Islamic Sharia.
So applying the document's provisions is limited by their not contravening the provisions of Islamic Sharia.
This article complements Article 4, with its freedom for the parties to authorize others to choose the procedures. As for how the parties are notified, Article 6 deals with it, giving priority to the parties' special agreement and setting alternative rules in its absence.
Before signing a contract that refers to a model contract or an international agreement, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in arbitration and commercial cases to understand what follows from this reference.
Practical example
A contracting company in Riyadh signed a contract with a project owner, and the contract provided that the relationship was subject to a well-known model contract in the construction sector that includes a mechanism for settling disputes by arbitration. When a disagreement arises, the arbitration provisions in that model contract are applied, so long as they do not contravene the provisions of Islamic Sharia.
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 5 of the Saudi Arbitration Law
If our contract refers to a model contract with an arbitration clause, are we bound by it?
The article provides that the provisions of the document to which the parties agree to subject their relationship must be applied, including its arbitration provisions, unless they contravene the provisions of Islamic Sharia.
What are the limits on applying the agreed document?
Its provisions are applied so long as they do not contravene the provisions of Islamic Sharia.
More articles on Scope and General Provisions of Arbitration
- 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 2
The article sets the scope of the Arbitration Law and excludes personal status disputes and matters in which conciliation is not permitted.
مع عدم الإخلال بأحكام الشريعة الإسلامية وأحكام الاتفاقيات الدولية التي تكون المملكة طرفاً فيها ؛ تسري أحكام هذا النظام على كل تحكيم، أياً كانت طبيعة العلاقة الن
- Article 3
The article sets out when arbitration is international under the Law, provided its subject is a dispute relating to international trade.
يكون التحكيم دولياً في حكم هذا النظام إذا كان موضوعه نزاعاً يتعلق بالتجارة الدولية، وذلك في الأحوال الآتية: 1 - إذا كان المركز الرئيس لأعمال كل من طرفي التحكيم
- Article 4
The article allows the parties, where they may choose a procedure, to authorize others, such as an individual or an arbitration center, to choose it.
في الأحوال التي يجيز فيها هذا النظام لطرفي التحكيم اختيار الإجراء الواجب الاتباع في مسألة معينة، فإن ذلك يضمن حقهما في الترخيص للغير في اختيار هذا الإجراء، ويعد
- Article 6
The article regulates how notices between the parties to arbitration are delivered when they have no special agreement, and excludes judicial notices concerning annulment of an arbitral award.
1 - إذا لم يكن هناك اتفاق خاص بين طرفي التحكيم في شأن الإبلاغات فيتم تسليم الإبلاغ إلى المرسل إليه شخصيًّا - أو من ينوب عنه - أو إرساله إلى عنوانه البريدي المحد
- Article 7
The article treats a party's continuing with arbitration while aware of a violation, without objecting within the agreed time or within 30 days, as a waiver of his right to object.
إذا استمر أحد طرفي التحكيم في إجراءات التحكيم ـ مع علمه بوقوع مخالفة لحكم من أحكام هذا النظام مما يجوز الاتفاق على مخالفته أو لشرط في اتفاق التحكيم ـ ولم يقدم ا
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.