Article 292 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 292 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: الإبراء
The article provides that the debtor's obligation is extinguished when the creditor releases him, without needing his acceptance, with the debt returning if he rejects it, and requires that the release be of an existing debt even if not yet due.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- ينقضي التزام المدين إذا أبرأه الدائن، ولا يتوقف الإبراء على قبول المدين، ولكن إذا رده المدين عاد الدين إلى ما كان عليه.
2- لا يصح الإبراء إلا من دينٍ قائم، ولو لم يكن حالًّا
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 292 explained in plain English
This article regulates release (ibra'), where the creditor waives his debt against the debtor, known in everyday life as "forgiving" the debt.
Paragraph 1 - the effect of release and no need for acceptance:
- The debtor's obligation is extinguished if the creditor releases him.
- Release does not depend on the debtor's acceptance; it takes effect by the creditor's will.
- But if the debtor rejects it, the debt returns to what it was. The debtor cannot be forced to accept a release.
Paragraph 2 - the subject of release: release is valid only for an existing debt, meaning a debt that actually exists, even if it is not yet due. A release of a deferred debt whose date has not yet arrived is valid, but a release of a non-existent debt is not.
This article relates to Article 293, which provides that the substantive provisions on gifts apply to release and that no particular form is required for it. It also relates to Article 291, which returns the debt to what it was if the cause of the merger of liability ceases retroactively, an idea close to the return of the debt when a release is rejected.
A person who wants to release his debtor, or who is released from a debt, should document it in writing to avoid disputes, and in case of a dispute it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in civil cases.
Practical example
Ibrahim was owed a deferred debt by his friend, falling due after one year, and Ibrahim told him he had released him from it. The debt is extinguished even though its due date has not arrived and the friend did not declare his acceptance. But if the friend rejected the release, the debt would return to what it was.
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 292 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Does release of a debt require the debtor's consent?
Release does not depend on the debtor's acceptance, but if the debtor rejects it, the debt returns to what it was.
Can a debt that is not yet due be released?
Yes. Release of an existing debt is valid even if it is not yet due.
Is release of a non-existent debt valid?
No. Release is valid only for an existing debt.
More articles on Performance of Debt and Set-Off
- Article 21
The article distinguishes fungible things, whose units are alike or close and can stand in for one another on performance, from non-fungible things, whose units differ in a way recognized by custom or whose like is rarely found.
1- الأشياء المثلية هي ما تتماثل آحادها أو تتقارب بحيث يمكن أن يقوم بعضها مقام بعض عند الوفاء بلا فرقٍ يُعتد به عرفًا. 2- الأشياء القيمية هي ما تتفاوت آحادها في
- Article 110
The article provides that a bilateral contract terminates automatically if performance becomes impossible for a reason beyond the debtor's control, and sets the rules for partial and temporary impossibility.
1- في العقود الملزمة للجانبين، إذا أصبح تنفيذ الالتزام مستحيلًا بسببٍ لا يد للمدين فيه، انقضى التزامه والالتزام المقابل له، وانفسخ العقد من تلقاء نفسه. 2- إذا ك
- Article 147
What a non-debtor paid cannot be recovered if, as a result, a good-faith creditor lost the debt instrument or its guarantees or abandoned his claim until its period expired, and the payer may have recourse against the original debtor.
لا محل لاسترداد غير المستحق إذا حصل الوفاء من غير المدين وترتب عليه أن الدائن وهو حسن النية قد تجرد من سند الدين أو مما حصل عليه من الضمانات أو ترك دعواه قِبَل
- 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 206
The article permits early performance by the person for whose benefit the term was set unless it harms the other party, treats the term as for the debtor's benefit in case of doubt, and returns the debt to deferred status if what was received early is claimed by another.
1- يجوز تعجيل الوفاء بالدين ممن كان الأجل لمصلحته ما لم يلحق التعجيل ضررًا بالطرف الآخر. 2- عند الشك في كون الأجل لمصلحة المدين أو الدائن فالأصل أن يُعدَّ لمصلح
- Article 207
The article provides that a deferred debt does not fall due on the creditor's death, and falls due on the debtor's death unless it is secured by security in kind, the heirs provide adequate security, or the creditor agrees it remains deferred.
لا يحل الدين المؤجل بموت الدائن، ويحل بموت المدين إلا إذا كان الدين موثَّقًا بضمانٍ عينيٍّ أو قدم الورثة ضمانًا كافيًا عينيًّا أو شخصيًّا أو وافق الدائن على بقا
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.

