Article 150 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
المادة 150 من نظام الطيران المدني · الفصل الثاني: المسؤولية عن الأضرار التي تسببها الطائرة للغير على سطح الأرض
A compensation claim must be filed or served within six months of the accident or the right is limited to what remains; it is not heard after two years, except at the court's discretion, and is not accepted after three years.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يجب على الشخص المتضرر رفع دعوى التعويض على مشغل الطائرة المسؤول أو إعلانه بها خلال ستة أشهر من يوم وقوع الحادث الذي سبب الضرر، وإلا انحصر حقه في التعويض في الجزء الباقي من التعويض المسؤول عنه المستثمر بعد الوفاء بجميع المطالبات التي قدمت خلال هذه المدة.
2- لا تسمع دعوى التعويض بانقضاء عامين من يوم وقوع الحادث الذي نتج عنه الضرر.
3- تحدد المحكمة المختصة في المملكة قبول النظر في دعوى التعويض من عدمه بعد انقضاء المدة المحددة في الفقرة (2) من هذه المادة استنادًا إلى الأسباب المقدمة في الدعوى، على أنه في جميع الأحوال لا تقبل الدعوى بعد انقضاء ثلاثة أعوام من اليوم الذي وقع فيه الحادث الذي نتج عنه الضرر.
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 150 explained in plain English
This article sets three periods that a person harmed by an aircraft on the surface must observe.
1- Six months: The injured person must file the compensation claim against the liable aircraft operator, or serve it on the operator, within six months of the day of the accident. If not, the right is not lost entirely, but is limited to the remaining part of the compensation for which the operator is liable after all claims submitted within this period have been satisfied. This matters because compensation is subject to a maximum limit, so someone who delays may find nothing sufficient left.
2- Two years: A compensation claim is not heard once two years have passed from the day of the accident.
3- Three years: After the two years, the competent court in the Kingdom decides whether to consider the claim, based on the reasons presented. But in all cases the claim is not accepted after three years from the day of the accident.
Note: All periods are counted from the day of the accident that caused the damage, not from the day it became known.
Practical effect: The injured person should act within the first six months to ensure full participation in the available compensation, and should not rely on the additional time after two years because it is subject to the court's discretion.
This article follows Article 149 on the distribution of compensation when it exceeds the maximum limit, and precedes Article 151, which makes the Board of Grievances the body hearing these claims. Anyone harmed by an aircraft should quickly consult a lawyer specializing in compensation cases.
Practical example
A house in Jeddah was damaged on January 10, 2025, when parts of an aircraft fell on it. The owner should file the claim or serve the operator before July 10, 2025 to share in the compensation in full; the claim is not heard after January 10, 2027 unless the court accepts his reasons, and is never accepted after January 10, 2028.
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 150 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
What is the time limit for a claim for compensation for aircraft damage?
It must be filed or served on the operator within six months of the day of the accident, or the right is limited to the remaining part of the compensation after claims submitted within that period are satisfied.
Is the claim heard two years after the accident?
It is not heard after two years, but the competent court decides whether to accept it after that based on the reasons, and in all cases it is not accepted after three years.
More articles on Compensation for Damage Caused by Aircraft on the Ground
- Article 66
The article protects anyone who suffers surface damage from an aircraft when it is seized and sold by forced sale: security rights can be asserted against them only up to 80% of the price, unless the damage was insured.
1- إذا تم إجراء البيع الجبري في المملكة ووقع في إقليمها ضرر على السطح من طائرة تم ترتيب أحد الحقوق الواردة في المادة (السادسة والخمسين) من هذا النظام عليها ضمان
- Article 140
For the purposes of the chapter on damage on the surface, an aircraft is in flight from when motive power is first used for actual takeoff until landing; a lighter-than-air aircraft, from when it leaves the ground until it is secured again.
عند تطبيق أحكام هذا الفصل تعد الطائرة في حالة طيران منذ اللحظة التي يبدأ فيها استخدام القوة المحركة لغرض الإقلاع الفعلي حتى اللحظة التي يتم فيها الهبوط، وتبدأ ه
- Article 141
Anyone harmed on the surface in the Kingdom is entitled to compensation from the aircraft operator once it is shown that the damage arose directly from the aircraft in flight or from a person or thing that fell from it, subject to specified exceptions.
1 - لكل من أصيب بضرر على سطح الأرض في إقليم المملكة الحق في الحصول على تعويض من مشغل الطائرة بمجرد ثبوت أن الضرر قد نشأ مباشرة من الطائرة وهي في حالة طيران أو م
- Article 142
The aircraft operator is liable for compensation for surface damage whether it uses the aircraft itself or through its employees and agents, and the owner or lessee in whose name the aircraft is registered is deemed the operator unless it proves someone else is.
1 - يكون مشغل الطائرة مسؤولا عن التعويض المشار إليه في المادة (الحادية والأربعين بعد المائة) من هذا النظام سواء أكان يستعمل الطائرة بنفسه أو بواسطة تابعيه ووكلا
- Article 143
A person entitled to use the aircraft for less than 14 days is jointly liable with the person who authorized the use, and the operator is jointly liable with anyone who used its aircraft without its consent unless it proves it took the necessary care.
1- يكون الشخص الذي له حق استعمال الطائرة لمدة تقل عن أربعة عشر يوما مسؤولا بالتضامن مع الشخص الذي خوله هذا الحق في دفع التعويض عن الأضرار الموجبة للتعويض المشار
- Article 144
The liable person is exempt from compensating surface damage caused by armed conflict or civil disturbance, by being barred from using the aircraft by order of public authorities, or by the injured person's fault; compensation is reduced in proportion to the injured person's contribution.
1- لا يلتزم الشخص المسؤول وفقا لأحكام هذا الفصل بتعويض الضرر الذي يقع في الأحوال الآتية: أ - إذا كان الضرر قد نتج مباشرة عن نزاع مسلح أو لاضطرابات مدنية. ب - إ
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.