Article 3 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 3 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: الشخص ذو الصفة الطبيعية
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- تبدأ شخصية الإنسان بتمام ولادته حيًّا وتنتهي بموته.
2- حقوق الحمل المستكن تحددها النصوص النظامية.
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 3 explained in plain English
This Article determines when a human being becomes a person in the eyes of the Law, and when this personality ends.
Beginning of personality: a person's personality begins with complete live birth. This includes two conditions that must both be met:
- That birth is complete, that is, the child is fully separated.
- That the child is born alive.
End of personality: a person's personality ends with death.
The unborn child in the womb: as for a fetus not yet born, the Article does not determine its rights itself but refers to statutory provisions; these are consulted to learn what rights are established for the unborn child and their conditions, and no particular content is assumed for them from this Article.
This Article is the basis of the rules on the natural person, as it shows the period during which a human being is a person. Related to it is Article 4, which subjects the missing person, the absent person and the person of unknown parentage to the statutory provisions specific to them. Periods in this Law are calculated by the Hijri calendar under Article 2.
In matters relating to the rights of the unborn child or the effects of death on rights, it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in personal status or civil cases.
Practical example
Sarah gave birth in Jeddah to a baby girl who was born alive after complete birth; from that moment the girl's personality begins in the eyes of the Law. Before her birth, when she was an unborn child in the womb, her rights are not derived from this Article but determined by the relevant statutory provisions.
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 3 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
When does a person's personality begin under the Civil Transactions Law?
It begins with complete live birth and ends with death.
Does an unborn child have rights under the Civil Transactions Law?
The Article does not detail the rights of the unborn child in the womb but provides that statutory provisions determine them.
When does a person's personality end?
A person's personality ends with death, under paragraph 1 of the Article.
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 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.
- Article 7
The article explains how to count the degree of direct and indirect kinship, and treats a spouse's relatives as having the same kinship and degree in relation to the other spouse.
1- تتحدد درجة القرابة المباشرة باعتبار كل فرعٍ درجةً عند الصعود للأصل دون حساب الأصل، وتتحدد درجة القرابة غير المباشرة بعدد الفروع صعودًا من الفرع للأصل المشترك
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.