Article 6 of the Saudi Arbitration Law
المادة 6 من نظام التحكيم · الباب الأول: أحكام عامة
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 المحدد في العقد محل المنازعة، أو المحدد في مشارطة التحكيم، أو في الوثيقة المنظمة للعلاقة التي يتناولها التحكيم.
2 - إذا تعذر تسليم الإبلاغ إلى المرسل إليه وفقاً للفقرة (1)؛ يعد التسليم قد تم إذا كان الإبلاغ بكتاب مسجل إلى آخر مقر عمل، أو محل إقامة معتاد، أو عنوان بريدي معروف للمرسل إليه.
3 - لا تسري أحكام هذه المادة على الإبلاغات القضائية الخاصة ببطلان حكم التحكيم أمام المحاكم.
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 6 explained in plain English
This article deals with an important practical question: how do notices (notifications and correspondence) reach the parties to arbitration? The rule is that the parties' special agreement on how to give notice governs; if there is no agreement, the following rules apply:
- Direct delivery or delivery to the specified address: the notice is delivered to the addressee personally or to his representative, or sent to his postal address specified in the contract in dispute, in the submission agreement, or in the document governing the relationship.
- When that is not possible: delivery is deemed to have occurred if the notice is sent by registered letter to the addressee's last place of business, habitual residence or known postal address.
- Exception: these rules do not apply to judicial notices concerning annulment of an arbitral award before the courts.
The practical benefit is that a party cannot obstruct the arbitration by avoiding receipt; sending by registered letter to one of the listed addresses counts as delivery where delivery under the first paragraph is not possible. It is therefore advisable to state addresses clearly in the contract and keep them updated.
The article is connected with Article 5, which requires applying the provisions of the document to which the parties agree to subject their relationship, and that document may contain provisions on notices. It is also connected with Article 7, since a party may need to prove the date he learned of a violation in order to calculate the objection period.
To make sure the notice procedures in your dispute are sound, you can consult a lawyer specialized in arbitration and commercial cases.
Practical example
A company in Jeddah sent an arbitration notice to a supplier at the address stated in the contract, but he had closed that office. The company therefore sent the notice by registered letter to his last known place of business. Under paragraph (2), delivery is deemed to have occurred in this case.
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 6 of the Saudi Arbitration Law
What applies if we agreed in the contract on a particular way of giving notice?
The rules of this article apply only if there is no special agreement between the parties on notices.
What if a notice cannot be delivered to the other party personally or at his address in the contract?
Delivery is deemed to have occurred if the notice is sent by registered letter to the addressee's last place of business, habitual residence or known postal address.
Do these rules apply to serving an action to annul an arbitral award?
No. The article excludes judicial notices concerning annulment of an arbitral award before the courts.
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 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 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.