Article 20 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 20 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفصل الثالث: الأشياء والأموال
The article defines property as anything that has a material value recognized in dealings, whether a thing, a usufruct or a right.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
المال كلُّ ما له قيمةٌ مادية معتبرة في التعامل من عينٍ أو منفعةٍ أو حقٍّ.
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 20 explained in plain English
This article sets the definition of property in the Civil Transactions Law, a definition on which many rules are built.
Elements of the definition:
- Material value: The thing must have a material value.
- The value must be recognized in dealings: that is, people take it into account in their dealings, so it is not enough that it has value for its owner alone.
Forms of property: The article mentioned three forms:
- A thing (ayn): the item itself, such as a house, a car or goods.
- A usufruct: such as the benefit of living in a house or using a car.
- A right: such as a right that has a material value recognized in dealings.
The definition is therefore not limited to tangible things, but includes usufructs and rights when they have a material value recognized in dealings.
Its link to other articles: Article 19 provides that anything material or immaterial may be the object of financial rights, except what by its nature cannot be exclusively possessed or what the legal provisions prevent. Article 21 divides things into fungible things, whose units are alike or close, and non-fungible things, whose units differ in a way recognized by custom.
To know whether a particular thing is property in a specific dispute, it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in civil cases.
Practical example
A company in Riyadh leased a warehouse for one year. The warehouse itself is property because it is a thing with a recognized material value, and the usufruct of using the warehouse during the lease term is also property because it is a usufruct with a material value recognized in dealings.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentA question about Article 20 of Civil Transactions Law?
Describe what happened and specialist lawyers answer. You can write in English.
- Completely free
- Lawyers from the directory answer
- Your name stays hidden
Civil Litigation & Compensation lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Civil Litigation & Compensation lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Active contributor
Unwan Law Firm
Frequently asked questions about Article 20 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
What is the definition of property in the Civil Transactions Law?
Property is anything that has a material value recognized in dealings, whether a thing, a usufruct or a right.
Is a usufruct considered property?
Yes. The article expressly mentioned the usufruct as a form of property when it has a material value recognized in dealings.
Is it enough for a thing to have value for its owner to be property?
The article requires the material value to be recognized in dealings.
More articles on Capacity and General Provisions
- Article 1
The Article sets the order of what applies to civil matters: the Law's provisions, then the general rules in the final provisions, then the most suitable rulings of Sharia, without prejudice to special statutory provisions.
1- تُطبق نصوص هذا النظام على جميع المسائل التي تناولتها في لفظها أو في فحواها، فإن لم يوجد نص يمكن تطبيقه طُبقت القواعد الكلية الواردة في الأحكام الختامية، فإن
- Article 2
The Article provides that all periods and time limits in the Civil Transactions Law are calculated by the Hijri calendar.
تحسب المدد والمواعيد الواردة في هذا النظام بالتقويم الهجري.
- Article 3
The Article provides that a person's legal personality begins with complete live birth and ends with death, and that the rights of an unborn child in the womb are determined by statutory provisions.
1- تبدأ شخصية الإنسان بتمام ولادته حيًّا وتنتهي بموته. 2- حقوق الحمل المستكن تحددها النصوص النظامية.
- Article 4
The Article refers the rules on the missing person, the absent person and the person of unknown parentage to the statutory provisions specific to them rather than regulating them in the Civil Transactions Law.
تسري على المفقود والغائب ومجهول النسب النصوص النظامية الخاصة بهم.
- Article 5
The Article refers the rules on persons' names, titles, families, kinship and nationalities to the statutory provisions specific to them.
تسري على أسماء الأشخاص وألقابهم وأسرهم وقراباتهم وجنسياتهم النصوص النظامية الخاصة بها.
- Article 6
The article defines direct kinship as the link between ascendants and descendants, and indirect kinship as the bond between persons who share a common ancestor without one being a descendant of the other.
1- القرابة المباشرة هي الصلة بين الأصول والفروع. 2- القرابة غير المباشرة هي الرابطة بين أشخاصٍ يجمعهم أصلٌ مشتركٌ دون أن يكون أحدهم فرعًا للآخر.
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.