Article 169 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 169 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفصل الأول: التنفيذ العيني
The article lets the creditor, where the debtor breaches an obligation to refrain from an act, request removal of what was done in breach with compensation where warranted, and ask the court's permission to carry out the removal at the debtor's expense.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا التزم المدين بالامتناع عن عمل وأخل بهذا الالتزام، كان للدائن أن يطلب إزالة ما وقع مخالفًا للالتزام مع التعويض إذا كان له مقتضٍ، وله أن يطلب إذنًا من المحكمة في القيام بهذه الإزالة على نفقة المدين.
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 169 explained in plain English
Some obligations do not require the debtor to do something but to refrain from doing something, such as an obligation not to build above a certain height, or not to open a window onto a neighbor's property. Article 169 deals with what happens if the debtor breaches this obligation and does the prohibited act.
The article gives the creditor the following rights:
- Requesting removal: to request removal of what was done in breach of the obligation, that is, restoring the situation to what it should have been.
- Compensation: to request compensation along with removal where it is warranted, that is, where the breach gives rise to grounds for compensation.
- Removal at the debtor's expense: to request the court's permission to carry out the removal himself at the debtor's expense.
Note that the text of the article ties removal at the debtor's expense to requesting the court's permission.
This article complements the provisions on performance in kind: Article 168 explains when a debtor is regarded as having fulfilled his obligation, while Article 170 regulates the award of compensation where performance in kind is impossible. To assess whether compensation is warranted in a particular case, you may consult a lawyer specializing in civil and compensation cases.
Practical example
Majed agreed with his neighbor in Khobar not to build an annex that would block the front of the neighbor's house, but he built the annex anyway. The neighbor may request removal of the annex with compensation where warranted, and may ask the court's permission to remove it himself at Majed's expense.
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 169 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
What can I do if the other party breaches an obligation not to do something?
You may request removal of what was done in breach of the obligation, with compensation where it is warranted.
Can I remove the violation myself at the violator's expense?
The creditor may request the court's permission to carry out the removal at the debtor's expense.
Is compensation always due along with removal?
The article provides for compensation where it is warranted.
More articles on Performance of Obligations and Agreed Compensation
- Article 107
The article lets a party to a bilateral contract, after warning the defaulting party, demand performance or termination, with compensation if warranted, in either case.
في العقود الملزمة للجانبين، إذا لم يوف أحد المتعاقدين بالتزامه، فللمتعاقد الآخر بعد إعذاره المتعاقد المخل أن يطلب تنفيذ العقد أو فسخه، مع التعويض في الحالتين إن
- Article 161
The article requires the debtor to perform his obligation when it falls due and allows it to be enforced against him by compulsion if he refuses, once the conditions for compulsory enforcement under the law are met.
يجب على المدين تنفيذ التزامه عند استحقاقه، فإذا امتنع نفذ عليه جبرًا متى استوفى التنفيذ الجبري شروطه النظامية.
- Article 162
The article provides that an obligation that does not meet the conditions for compulsory enforcement remains owed on a moral basis (diyanah); if the debtor performs it voluntarily, the performance is valid and is neither a gift nor an undue payment.
إذا لم يستوف الالتزام الشروط النظامية لتنفيذه جبرًا يبقى قائمًا في ذمة المدين ديانةً، فإذا وفاه مختارًا كان وفاؤه صحيحًا ولا يُعدُّ تبرعًا ولا دفعًا لغير المستح
- Article 163
The article provides that an obligation owed on a moral basis (diyanah) is a valid foundation on which the debtor may build a legal obligation.
الالتزام القائم ديانةً يُعدُّ أساسًا صالحًا لأن يبني عليه المدين التزامًا نظاميًّا.
- Article 164
The article compels the debtor, after formal notice, to perform in kind where possible, and lets the court, at his request, limit the creditor to compensation if performance is burdensome and causes the creditor no serious harm.
1- يُجبَر المدين بعد إعذاره على تنفيذ التزامه تنفيذًا عينيًّا متى كان ذلك ممكنًا. 2- إذا كان في التنفيذ العيني إرهاقٌ للمدين جاز للمحكمة بناءً على طلبه أن تقصر
- Article 165
The article provides that a right to a thing specified by kind attaches to a particular item only once it is set apart, and lets the creditor, on non-performance, obtain a like item at the debtor's expense.
1- إذا تعلق الحق بشيء معين بالنوع لا بالذات، فإنه لا يختص بشيء بذاته من ذلك النوع إلا بإفرازه. 2- إذا لم يقم المدين بتنفيذ التزامه جاز للدائن أن يحصل على شيء من
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.