Article 62 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
المادة 62 من نظام الطيران المدني · الفصل الثاني: الحقوق على الطائرات
Where an aircraft is attached or sold by force, creating or transferring Article 56 rights is not recognized if the debtor did so knowing of the proceedings and intending to harm the attaching creditor, the enforcing party or the buyer.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
في حالة توقيع الحجز ، أو إجراء البيع الجبري لطائرة ، أو أي حق عليها؛ لا يجوز الاعتراف بإنشاء أو بنقل أي من الحقوق الواردة في الفقرة (1) من المادة (السادسة والخمسين) من هذا النظام إذا أجراه المدين الذي اتخذت في مواجهته وعلمه إجراءات البيع، أو إجراءات التنفيذ وذلك بقصد الإضرار بالدائن الحاجز، أو بمن يباشر التنفيذ أو بالمشتري.
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 62 explained in plain English
This article protects creditors and the buyer of the aircraft in enforcement from debtor acts intended to harm them.
When it applies: where an attachment is imposed, or a forced sale is carried out, of an aircraft or any right over it.
The rule: the creation or transfer of any of the rights in paragraph 1 of Article 56 is not to be recognized. Those rights are ownership, the possessor's right to acquire ownership by purchase, the right of use under a lease, and a formal mortgage or similar right.
Conditions for non-recognition (all together):
- The act was done by the debtor against whom the sale or enforcement proceedings were taken.
- It was done with his knowledge of those proceedings.
- It was done with the intention of harming the attaching creditor, the party carrying out enforcement, or the buyer.
If these conditions are all met, the right the debtor created or transferred is not recognized, as where he sells or mortgages the aircraft to another after learning of the attachment in order to deprive the creditor of his right.
The article does not say how the intention to harm is proved or before which body this is invoked. Anyone facing this situation, creditor or buyer, would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in enforcement cases.
Practical example
A bank attached the aircraft of a failing company in preparation for selling it by force, and the company's owner, knowing of the attachment, mortgaged the aircraft to a relative to defeat the enforcement. This mortgage is not recognized if it is proved to have been made with the intention of harming the attaching bank.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentCommercial & Corporate Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Commercial & Corporate Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Ibrahim Al Salem Law Firm
Active contributor
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Frequently asked questions about Article 62 of the Saudi Civil Aviation Law
Can a debtor sell his aircraft after it has been attached?
The creation or transfer of rights over the aircraft is not recognized if the debtor did it knowing of the sale or enforcement proceedings and intending to harm the attaching creditor, the enforcing party or the buyer.
Which rights are covered by non-recognition?
The rights in paragraph 1 of Article 56: ownership, the possessor's right to buy, the right of use under a lease, and the formal mortgage and similar rights.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Registering Aircraft and Rights Over Them
- Article 49
No civil aircraft may fly in the Kingdom's territory without its nationality and registration marks; the Authority may permit an unregistered aircraft to fly or land for technical testing or other purposes.
لا يجوز لأي طائرة مدنية أن تطير في إقليم المملكة ما لم تكن تحمل علامة جنسيتها وتسجيلها طبقا لنظام دولة التسجيل ، أو سلطة تسجيل العلامة العامة ، ومع ذلك يجوز لله
- Article 50
The Authority determines the nationality and registration marks of national aircraft and how they are placed on the aircraft, in accordance with the applicable international rules and laws.
تحدد الهيئة علامات جنسية وتسجيل الطائرات الوطنية ، كما تحدد طريقة وضعها على الطائرة وفقا للقواعد والأنظمة الدولية المطبقة في هذا الشأن.
- Article 51
The Authority maintains the Saudi National Register for Aircraft Registration, whose contents and registration conditions are set by the Implementing Regulations; a registered aircraft has the Kingdom's nationality.
1- تعد الهيئة سجلا لتسجيل الطائرات المدنية الوطنية يسمى ( السجل السعودي الوطني لتسجيل الطائرات )، وتحدد اللائحة البيانات التي يجب أن يتضمنها السجل والشروط الواج
- Article 52
The Authority issues aircraft registration certificates after completing the necessary procedures, each containing the data set by the Implementing Regulations.
تصدر الهيئة شهادات تسجيل الطائرات بعد إتمام الإجراءات اللازمة لذلك على أن تتضمن كل شهادة البيانات التي تحددها اللائحة.
- Article 53
An aircraft is deregistered if its owner or lessee loses Saudi nationality, ownership passes to a foreigner, it is lost or permanently withdrawn, the owner requests it or a registration condition ceases; the owner must notify the Authority and return the certificate.
1- تشطب الطائرة من السجل في الحالات الآتية: أ - إذا فقد مالكها أو مستأجرها جنسيته السعودية. ب - إذا انتقلت ملكيتها إلى شخص أجنبي. ج - إذا فقدت الطائرة أو سحبت
- Article 54
The provisions on rights over aircraft apply to all civil aircraft in the Kingdom's territory whatever their nationality and to Saudi civil aircraft wherever they are, but not to state aircraft.
تطبق أحكام هذا الفصل على جميع الطائرات المدنية أيًّا كانت جنسيتها حال وجودها في إقليم المملكة وكذلك على الطائرات المدنية السعودية في أي مكان كانت، ولا تسري أحكا
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.