Article 10 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 10 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: الشخص ذو الصفة الطبيعية
The article makes the domicile of a person lacking capacity, a person with limited capacity, a missing person or an absent person that of their legal representative, and allows a person with limited capacity a special domicile for acts he is qualified to carry out.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
موطن عديم الأهلية أو ناقصها أو المفقود أو الغائب هو موطن من ينوب عنه نظامًا، ويجوز أن يكون لناقص الأهلية موطنٌ خاصٌّ فيما يتعلق بالتصرفات التي يُعدُّ أهلًا لمباشرتها.
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 10 explained in plain English
This article sets the domicile of categories of people who mostly do not manage their own affairs, and ties their domicile to that of their representative.
The general rule: The domicile of each of the following:
- a person lacking capacity,
- a person with limited capacity,
- a missing person,
- an absent person,
is the domicile of the person who legally represents him. What counts here is the domicile of the legal representative, not the place of residence of the person himself.
The exception for a person with limited capacity: A person with limited capacity may have a special domicile, but only in relation to the acts he is qualified to carry out. This article does not specify what those acts are, so they are determined by the provisions set by the legal texts.
Its link to other articles: Article 9 sets the business domicile for a person who carries on a trade or profession, while this article deals with the domicile of someone who is represented by another. Article 11 allows a chosen domicile to be adopted for a particular act, and requires writing to prove it.
A guardian, a custodian or a representative of a missing or absent person who needs to know the effect of this rule on his situation would do best to consult a lawyer who specializes in personal status.
Practical example
A ten-year-old child lives temporarily with his grandmother in Madinah, while his father, his legal guardian, resides in Riyadh. Under this article the child's domicile is that of the person who legally represents him, that is, his father's domicile. If a person with limited capacity has acts he is qualified to carry out, he may have a special domicile in relation to them.
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 10 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
What is the domicile of a minor?
The domicile of a person lacking capacity or with limited capacity is that of the person who legally represents him.
Can a person with limited capacity have a special domicile?
Yes, in relation to the acts he is qualified to carry out.
What is the domicile of a missing or absent person?
His domicile is that of the person who legally represents him.
More articles on Capacity and General Provisions
- Article 1
The Article sets the order of what applies to civil matters: the Law's provisions, then the general rules in the final provisions, then the most suitable rulings of Sharia, without prejudice to special statutory provisions.
1- تُطبق نصوص هذا النظام على جميع المسائل التي تناولتها في لفظها أو في فحواها، فإن لم يوجد نص يمكن تطبيقه طُبقت القواعد الكلية الواردة في الأحكام الختامية، فإن
- Article 2
The Article provides that all periods and time limits in the Civil Transactions Law are calculated by the Hijri calendar.
تحسب المدد والمواعيد الواردة في هذا النظام بالتقويم الهجري.
- Article 3
The Article provides that a person's legal personality begins with complete live birth and ends with death, and that the rights of an unborn child in the womb are determined by statutory provisions.
1- تبدأ شخصية الإنسان بتمام ولادته حيًّا وتنتهي بموته. 2- حقوق الحمل المستكن تحددها النصوص النظامية.
- Article 4
The Article refers the rules on the missing person, the absent person and the person of unknown parentage to the statutory provisions specific to them rather than regulating them in the Civil Transactions Law.
تسري على المفقود والغائب ومجهول النسب النصوص النظامية الخاصة بهم.
- Article 5
The Article refers the rules on persons' names, titles, families, kinship and nationalities to the statutory provisions specific to them.
تسري على أسماء الأشخاص وألقابهم وأسرهم وقراباتهم وجنسياتهم النصوص النظامية الخاصة بها.
- Article 6
The article defines direct kinship as the link between ascendants and descendants, and indirect kinship as the bond between persons who share a common ancestor without one being a descendant of the other.
1- القرابة المباشرة هي الصلة بين الأصول والفروع. 2- القرابة غير المباشرة هي الرابطة بين أشخاصٍ يجمعهم أصلٌ مشتركٌ دون أن يكون أحدهم فرعًا للآخر.
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.