Article 117 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 117 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفصل الثاني: التصرف بإرادة منفردة
The article binds a person who promises the public a specified reward for a particular act to give it to whoever does the act under the announced conditions, and regulates withdrawal of the promise and the claim period.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- من وجه للجمهور وعدًا بجائزةٍ محددةٍ على عملٍ معيَّنٍ، التزم بإعطاء الجائزة لمن قام بهذا العمل وفقًا للشروط المعلنة، ولو قام به دون نظر إلى الوعد بالجائزة أو دون علم بها.
2- إذا لم يحدد الواعد أجلًا للقيام بالعمل جاز له الرجوع في وعده إذا أعلنه بالطريق الذي وجه به الوعد أو بإعلانه للكافة، ولا يؤثر رجوع الواعد في استحقاق الجائزة لمن أتم العمل المطلوب قبل إعلان الرجوع، وتسقط دعوى المطالبة بالجائزة إذا انقضت (تسعون) يومًا من تاريخ إعلان الرجوع.
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 117 explained in plain English
This article regulates a promise of a reward addressed to the public, such as someone announcing a reward for whoever finds a lost item.
Paragraph 1 — the obligation to give the reward: whoever makes a promise to the public of a specified reward for a particular act is bound to give the reward to whoever does the act in accordance with the announced conditions. Whoever did the act is entitled to it even if he did it without regard to the promise of the reward or without knowing of it.
Paragraph 2 — withdrawing the promise:
- If the promisor did not set a time limit for doing the act, he may withdraw his promise.
- Withdrawal is by announcing it by the means by which the promise was addressed, or by announcing it to everyone.
- Withdrawal does not affect entitlement to the reward of someone who completed the act before the withdrawal was announced.
- A claim for the reward lapses if 90 days pass from the date the withdrawal was announced.
It is understood from the second paragraph that the permission to withdraw is tied to no time limit being set for the act; if the promisor set a time limit, the text does not mention permission to withdraw in that case.
A promise of a reward is a form of obligation by unilateral will, and Article 116 provides that the provisions of contract apply to an act of unilateral will except those relating to the need for two matching wills, unless statutory provisions provide otherwise.
Anyone who completed an act for which a reward was announced and has not received it should watch the 90-day period if the promisor announced his withdrawal, and consider consulting a lawyer who specializes in civil cases.
Practical example
Yousef announced on social media in Riyadh a reward of SAR 5,000 for whoever returns his lost bag, without setting a time limit. Omar found it and returned it without knowing of the announcement, so he is entitled to the reward. If Yousef announced his withdrawal after Omar returned it, that does not affect Omar's entitlement, but his claim lapses if 90 days pass from the date the withdrawal was announced.
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 117 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Am I entitled to the reward if I did the act without knowing of the announcement?
Yes. The promisor is bound to give the reward to whoever did the act in accordance with the announced conditions, even if he did it without knowing of the reward.
Can someone who announced a reward withdraw it?
If he did not set a time limit for the act, he may withdraw by announcing it by the means by which the promise was addressed, or to everyone.
What is the period for claiming the reward after the promisor withdraws?
A claim for the reward lapses if 90 days pass from the date the withdrawal was announced.
Does the right of someone who completed the act before the withdrawal was announced lapse?
No. The promisor's withdrawal does not affect entitlement to the reward of someone who completed the required act before the withdrawal was announced.
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.