Article 293 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 293 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: الإبراء
The article subjects release to the substantive provisions on gifts and does not require a particular form for it.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تسري على الإبراء الأحكام الموضوعية للتبرعات، ولا يُشترط فيه شكل خاص.
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 293 explained in plain English
This article determines the provisions that apply to release and explains that it does not need a particular form.
First - the substantive provisions on gifts: the substantive provisions on gifts apply to release. That is, the substantive rules that govern gifts in the Law are applied to it. The article does not set out these provisions in detail, so refer to them where they appear in the Law.
Second - no particular form: no particular form is required for release. The article does not require any specific wording or procedure for its validity. Note that the article distinguishes between two kinds of provisions: it subjects release to the substantive provisions on gifts, and then excludes any requirement of a particular form for it.
This article relates to Article 292, which provides that release extinguishes the debtor's obligation without depending on his acceptance, that the debt returns to what it was if he rejects it, and that release is valid only for an existing debt even if not yet due. It also relates to Article 294, which addresses extinguishment of an obligation because performance is impossible.
Although no particular form is required, release is easier to prove in a dispute if it is in writing. When needed, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in civil cases.
Practical example
Turki told his cousin in a text message that he had released him from a debt owed to him. The Law does not require a particular form for release, and the substantive provisions on gifts apply to it, so the ruling follows those provisions and the provisions on release in Article 292.
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 293 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Must a release be in writing?
No. By the text of the article, no particular form is required for release.
Which provisions apply to release?
The substantive provisions on gifts apply to release.
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.