Article 29 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 29 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفصل الخامس: استعمال الحق
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 استعماله لا تتناسب مطلقًا مع ما يسببه للغير من ضرر.
ج- إذا كان استعماله في غير ما شُرع له أو لغاية غير مشروعة.
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 29 explained in plain English
This article sets the principle of prohibiting abuse in using a right. A right is not absolute, to be exercised by its holder however he likes; it must be used within lawful limits.
Cases of abuse: Use of a right is abusive in three cases:
- Aiming only to harm: If the right holder aims by his use of it at nothing but harming others. What matters is that harm is the only aim.
- Lack of proportion: If the benefit from using it is entirely disproportionate to the harm it causes others. Note that the text requires disproportion "entirely", so it is not enough that the harm merely slightly exceeds the benefit.
- Deviation from purpose: If it is used for something other than what it was granted for, or for an unlawful purpose.
Its link to Article 28: Article 28 provides that a person who uses his right lawfully is not liable for harm that arises from that. This article explains when use is not lawful, setting the limits of the previous rule. This article did not set out the consequence of abuse.
The practical effect: This article can be invoked in neighbor relations, contracts and elsewhere, whenever one of the three cases is present. A person who believes that another abused a right of his and caused him harm would do well to consult a lawyer who specializes in civil cases and compensation to assess his position.
Practical example
Saad owns land in Riyadh next to his neighbor's house, and he built a high wall on its boundary that is of no use to him, his only aim being to block light and air from his neighbor after a dispute between them. This use of his right to build is abusive because he aimed at nothing but harming others, which is the first of the cases of abuse in this article.
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 29 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
What are the cases of abuse in using a right?
If the use aims at nothing but harming others, if the benefit is entirely disproportionate to the harm caused to others, or if it is used for something other than what it was granted for or for an unlawful purpose.
May a right be used with the aim of harming others?
No. If the use aims at nothing but harming others, it is abusive use, and abuse in using a right is not permitted.
Is it enough for the harm to be greater than the benefit for the use to be abusive?
The article requires that the benefit be entirely disproportionate to the harm it causes others.
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.