Article 133 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 133 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الثالث: المسؤولية عن الضرر الناجم عن الأشياء
Anyone threatened with damage from a particular thing may demand that its keeper take measures to avert the danger; if he does not, the threatened person may carry them out with court permission at the owner's expense, or without it in urgency.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لكل من كان مهدَّدًا بضررٍ من شيءٍ معيَّنٍ أن يطالب حارسه باتخاذ ما يلزم من التدابير لدرء خطره، فإذا لم يقم باتخاذ هذه التدابير في وقت مناسب فلمن يهدده الخطر أن يحصل على إذن المحكمة في إجرائها على نفقة المالك، ويجوز في حال الاستعجال أن يتخذ ما يلزم من التدابير بغير إذن المحكمة.
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 133 explained in plain English
This article gives a preventive right to someone threatened with damage from a particular thing, so that he need not wait for the damage to occur and then claim compensation. The article regulates this in stages:
- The demand: anyone threatened with damage from a particular thing may demand that the keeper of that thing take the necessary measures to avert its danger.
- Court permission: if the keeper does not take these measures in good time, the person threatened by the danger may obtain the court's permission to carry them out at the owner's expense.
- Urgency: in a case of urgency, the person threatened by the danger may take the necessary measures without the court's permission.
Note that the initial demand is directed to the keeper, whereas the expense, when the measures are carried out with the court's permission, falls on the owner. The article does not fix a particular period for what counts as good time, nor a detailed standard for a case of urgency.
This article is linked to Article 132, which establishes the liability of the keeper of things that require special care for the damage they cause, and to Article 134, which explains who is considered the keeper of a thing and presumes that the owner is the keeper unless it is proven that custody has passed to someone else.
Anyone facing a danger from something belonging to another, such as a neighboring wall about to fall, should consider consulting a lawyer who specializes in civil and compensation cases or one who specializes in real estate cases.
Practical example
Abdullah noticed that his neighbor's wall in Hail was cracked and leaning toward the yard of his house. He asked his neighbor to reinforce it and he did not do so in good time, so Abdullah may obtain the court's permission to reinforce the wall at the owner's expense; and if the wall is about to fall, he may take the necessary measures without waiting for the court's permission.
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 133 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
What can I do if something belonging to my neighbor threatens me with harm?
You may demand that the keeper of the thing take the necessary measures to avert its danger; if he does not do so in good time, you may obtain the court's permission to carry them out at the owner's expense.
Can the measures be taken without the court's permission?
Yes. In a case of urgency, the person threatened by the danger may take the necessary measures without the court's permission.
Who bears the cost of the measures?
The article provides that measures carried out with the court's permission are at the owner's expense.
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.