Article 116 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 116 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفصل الثاني: التصرف بإرادة منفردة
The article provides that the provisions of contract apply to an act of unilateral will, except those requiring two matching wills, unless statutory provisions provide otherwise.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تسري على التصرف بالإرادة المنفردة أحكام العقد، عدا ما تعلق منها بضرورة وجود إرادتين متطابقتين لإنشاء الالتزام، وذلك ما لم تقض النصوص النظامية بخلاف ذلك.
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 116 explained in plain English
Article 115 provides that a person may be bound by his unilateral will in the cases that statutory provisions prescribe, and this article sets out the provisions that apply to such an act.
The rule: the provisions of contract apply. The provisions of contract in general apply to an act of unilateral will, and they are referred to on matters for which no special provision exists.
The first exception: what relates to the matching of two wills. The provisions of contract relating to the need for two matching wills to create the obligation do not apply, because an act of unilateral will is by nature based on one will. The requirement of a contract that an offer be met by acceptance is not required here.
The second exception: contrary statutory provisions. All of this applies unless statutory provisions provide otherwise; if a special provision sets a different rule, it takes precedence over this rule.
An application appears in Article 117, which regulates a promise of a reward made to the public. It is an obligation arising from the promisor's will alone, and whoever does the act in accordance with the announced conditions is entitled to the reward even if he did not know of the promise.
Where it is necessary to know whether a particular provision of contract law applies to an act that came from one party, consider consulting a lawyer who specializes in civil cases.
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 116 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Do the provisions of contract apply to an act of unilateral will?
Yes. They apply except those relating to the need for two matching wills to create the obligation, unless statutory provisions provide otherwise.
Which contract provisions do not apply to unilateral will?
The provisions relating to the need for two matching wills to create the obligation.
What is an example of an obligation by unilateral will?
One example the Law regulates, in Article 117, is a promise made to the public of a specified reward for a particular act.
More articles on Elements of the Contract
- Article 11
The article allows a chosen domicile to be adopted for a particular act, serving as the domicile for everything relating to it unless expressly limited, and requires writing to prove it.
1- يجوز اتخاذ موطنٍ مختارٍ لعملٍ معيَّن، ويكون هو الموطن لكل ما يتعلق بهذا العمل؛ ما لم يُشترط صراحةً قصر هذا الموطن على أعمالٍ دون أخرى. 2- لا يجوز إثبات وجود
- Article 30
The article provides that the rules of the contract chapter apply to named and unnamed contracts, without prejudice to the legal provisions that regulate contracts of a special nature.
تطبق الأحكام الواردة في هذا الفصل على العقود المسماة وغير المسماة، وذلك دون إخلال بالأحكام الواردة في النصوص النظامية التي تنظم عقودًا ذات طبيعة خاصة.
- Article 31
A contract arises when one party's offer is joined to the other's acceptance to produce a legal effect, subject to the particular forms the legal provisions set for the formation of certain contracts.
ينشأ العقد بارتباط الإيجاب بالقبول لإحداث أثر نظامي، مع مراعاة ما تقرره النصوص النظامية من أوضاعٍ معيّنةٍ لانعقاد العقد.
- Article 32
Consent in a contract is achieved when the wills of two or more contracting parties who have capacity to contract coincide and the will is expressed by what indicates it.
يتحقق الرضى إذا توافقت إرادتا متعاقدين (أو أكثر) لديهما أهلية التعاقد وعُبِّر عن الإرادة بما يدل عليها.
- Article 33
Offer and acceptance may be by anything that indicates the will: words, writing, an understood gesture or mutual exchange, explicit or implicit, unless the legal provisions, the agreement or the nature of the transaction require otherwise.
1- يكون الإيجاب والقبول بكل ما يدل على الإرادة. 2- يجوز أن يكون التعبير عن الإرادة باللفظ أو بالكتابة أو بالإشارة المفهومة أو بالمعاطاة، وأن يكون صريحًا أو ضمني
- Article 34
Displaying goods and services with their price stated is an offer, and an advertisement with the prevailing prices is not an offer, unless there are indications to the contrary in either case.
1- يعد عرض البضائع والخدمات مع بيان ثمنها إيجابًا، إلا إذا قامت دلائل تفيد خلاف ذلك. 2- لا يعدُّ الإعلان مع بيان الأسعار المتعامل بها إيجابًا، إلا إذا قامت دلائ
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.