Article 139 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 139 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الرابع: التعويض عن الضرر
Compensation is in principle assessed in cash; the court may, at the injured person's request, award like-for-like compensation, restoration or a specific measure tied to the act, and payment by installments or as a periodic income.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يُقدر التعويض بالنقد، على أنه يجوز للمحكمة تبعًا للظروف وبناءً على طلب المتضرر أن تقضي بالتعويض بالمثل أو بإعادة الحال إلى ما كانت عليه، أو أن تقضي بأمر معين متصل بالفعل الضار.
2- يجوز الحكم بأداء التعويض على أقساط أو في صورة إيراد مرتب، وللمحكمة في هاتين الحالتين أن تحكم بإلزام المدين بتقديم ضمان كافٍ.
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 139 explained in plain English
This article regulates the form of compensation and the manner of payment.
Paragraph 1 — the form of compensation: the principle is that compensation is assessed in cash. But the court may, depending on the circumstances and at the injured person's request, award one of the following forms instead of cash:
- Compensation in kind (like for like).
- Restoring the situation to what it was.
- Ordering a specific measure connected with the harmful act.
Note that these forms are conditional on the injured person's request, and the court decides on them according to the circumstances.
Paragraph 2 — manner of payment: a judgment may order compensation to be paid in installments or as a periodic income. In both cases the court may require the debtor to provide sufficient security, protecting the injured person against payments not continuing.
This article is linked to Article 138, which provides that compensation includes moral damage and leaves its assessment to the court, and to Article 140, which gives the injured person, in case of severe damage that makes it impossible to restore the thing to its intended use, the choice between keeping the thing or leaving it to the person who damaged it, with a claim for compensation in both cases.
To find the most suitable form of compensation to request in a particular case, consider consulting a lawyer who specializes in civil and compensation cases.
Practical example
A contractor damaged the wall of Ahmed's house in Qassim during excavation work next door. Ahmed may ask the court to order that the wall be restored to what it was instead of a sum of money, and the court may so order depending on the circumstances.
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 139 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Must compensation be a sum of money?
In principle compensation is assessed in cash, but the court may, depending on the circumstances and at the injured person's request, award like-for-like compensation, restoration, or a specific measure connected with the harmful act.
Can compensation be paid in installments?
Yes. A judgment may order compensation to be paid in installments or as a periodic income.
Is the injured person entitled to security if compensation is paid in installments?
In the cases of installments and periodic income, the court may require the debtor to provide sufficient security.
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.