Article 132 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 132 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الثالث: المسؤولية عن الضرر الناجم عن الأشياء
Whoever has charge of things that require special care to prevent their harm, by their nature or under statutory provisions, is liable for the damage they cause, unless he proves it was due to a cause beyond his control.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
كل من تولى حراسة أشياء تتطلب عنايةً خاصَّةً -بطبيعتها أو بموجب النصوص النظامية- للوقاية من ضررها؛ كان مسؤولًا عمَّا تحدثه تلك الأشياء من ضرر، ما لم يثبت أن الضرر كان بسبب لا يد له فيه.
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 132 explained in plain English
This article establishes the liability of whoever has charge of things requiring special care to prevent their harm, for the damage those things cause.
The article specifies two sources for a thing requiring special care:
- The nature of the thing itself, meaning its danger is inherent in it.
- Statutory provisions, meaning the Law has required special care for that thing.
Where a thing is like this, its keeper is liable for the damage it causes, and escapes liability only if he proves that the damage was due to a cause beyond his control. The burden of proof is on the keeper, not the injured person.
The article gives no list of such things, so whether a particular thing requires special care depends on its nature or on the statutory provisions relating to it.
This article is linked to Article 131, which establishes the liability of a building's keeper for its collapse, and to Article 133, which gives someone threatened with damage from a particular thing the right to demand that its keeper take the necessary measures to avert its danger, with the possibility of obtaining the court's permission to carry them out at the owner's expense if the keeper does not take them in good time.
To assess whether this article applies to a particular situation, consider consulting a lawyer who specializes in civil and compensation cases.
Practical example
A workshop in Khobar owns a large air compressor that by its nature requires special care to prevent it exploding, and it exploded and damaged a customer's car. As keeper of the compressor, the workshop is liable to compensate for the damage, unless it proves that the explosion was due to a cause beyond its control.
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 132 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Who is responsible for damage caused by a dangerous thing?
Whoever has charge of things that require special care, by their nature or under statutory provisions, is liable for the damage they cause.
How does the keeper of the thing escape liability?
If he proves that the damage was due to a cause beyond his control.
Which things require special care?
The article gives no list; it ties this to the nature of the thing or to what statutory provisions require to prevent its harm.
More articles on Compensation for Harm
- Article 28
The article provides that a person who uses his right lawfully is not liable for any harm that arises from that.
من استعمل حقه استعمالًا مشروعًا لا يكون مسؤولًا عما ينشأ عن ذلك من ضرر.
- Article 29
The article prohibits abuse in using a right, and sets its cases: aiming only to harm others, benefit entirely disproportionate to the harm caused, and use for something other than what the right was granted for or for an unlawful purpose.
1- لا يجوز التعسف في استعمال الحق. 2- يكون استعمال الحق تعسفيًّا في الحالات الآتية: أ- إذا لم يقصد بالاستعمال سوى الإضرار بالغير. ب- إذا كانت المنفعة من استعمال
- Article 35
The offeror may withdraw his offer before acceptance is made unless the offer has a fixed period, and if he does not inform the other party he compensates him for the harm suffered but not the expected profit.
1- للموجب أن يعدل عن الإيجاب قبل صدور القبول؛ ما لم تكن للإيجاب مدةٌ معينة. 2- إذا لم تكن للإيجاب مدة معينة؛ فعلى الموجب إذا عدل إعلام من وجه إليه الإيجاب بذلك،
- Article 41
Negotiating does not oblige the parties to conclude a contract, but a person who negotiates or ends negotiations in bad faith is liable for the harm, not for expected profit; bad faith includes lack of seriousness and concealing an essential fact.
1- ذا تمَّ التفاوض على عقد فلا يرتب ذلك على أطراف التفاوض التزامًا بإبرام هذا العقد، ومع ذلك يكون من يتفاوض أو يُنهي التفاوض بسوء نية مسؤولًا عن الضرر الذي أصاب
- Article 56
If a partially incapacitated person resorts to fraudulent means to conceal his incapacity, he must compensate the other contracting party for the harm caused by the annulment of the contract.
إذا لجأ ناقص الأهلية إلى طرقٍ احتياليَّةٍ لإخفاء نقص أهليته لزمه التعويض عن الضرر الذي أصاب المتعاقد معه بسبب إبطال العقد.
- Article 118
The article provides that the provisions on harmful acts apply to liability arising from the act of a natural or legal person, subject to liability provisions in special statutory texts.
مع مراعاة أحكام المسؤولية الواردة في نصوص نظامية خاصة؛ تسري أحكام هذا الفصل على المسؤولية الناشئة عن الفعل الضار من الشخص ذي الصفة الطبيعية أو الاعتبارية.
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.