Article 309 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 309 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: المبيع والثمن
In a sale by sample the item sold must match the sample; if the sample is lost or damaged with one party and they disagree, the other party's word prevails unless the contrary is proved.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- إذا كان البيع بالعيّنة وجَبَ أن يكون المبيع مطابقًا لها.
2- إذا فُقدت العيّنة أو تلفت في يد أحد المتعاقدين ولو من غير خطأٍ منه، واختلفا في مطابقة المبيع للعيّنة؛ فالقول للمتعاقد الآخر، ما لم يُثبت من فُقدت أو تلفت العيّنة في يده عكس ذلك.
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 309 explained in plain English
This article regulates sale by sample, where a sample of the goods is shown to the buyer and the sale is made on that basis. It is common in trading fabrics, building materials, food products and more.
First rule: the item sold must conform to the sample on the basis of which the sale was made.
Second rule: loss or damage of the sample. If the sample is lost or damaged while in the hands of one of the contracting parties, even without fault on his part, and they then disagree on whether the item sold conforms to the sample:
- the word of the other party prevails, that is, the party in whose hands the sample was not;
- and the party in whose hands the sample was lost or damaged may prove the contrary.
So the party who held the sample bears the consequence of its loss or damage when a dispute arises over conformity, even if he was not at fault, and he remains entitled to prove the contrary.
This article is linked to Article 308, which requires the item sold to be known to the buyer by seeing it or by a statement of its distinguishing characteristics; a sample is one way of achieving that knowledge. Article 310 regulates another form, sale subject to a trial.
The parties are therefore well advised to document the sample and keep it safe, for example by photographing or sealing it. Anyone facing a dispute over conformity may consult a lawyer specialized in commercial or civil cases.
Practical example
A contracting firm in Jeddah agreed with a supplier to buy tiles according to a sample kept by the supplier. On delivery the firm said the tiles did not conform, and the sample had been damaged in the supplier's warehouse without fault on his part. Under this article the firm's word prevails, unless the supplier proves that the tiles conform to the sample.
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 309 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
What happens if the goods do not match the sample?
The text requires the item sold to conform to the sample in a sale by sample.
If the sample is lost, whose word is accepted in a dispute?
The word of the other party, in whose hands the sample was not, unless the party in whose hands the sample was lost proves the contrary.
Does the rule apply if the sample was damaged without negligence?
Yes. The article states that the rule applies even if the sample was lost or damaged without fault on the part of the party who held it.
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- Article 44
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- Article 109
The article provides that exchange contracts are concluded on the basis that the subject matter is free of defects except what custom tolerates, and that an intolerable defect is a breach of the obligation.
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البيع عقد يُمَلِّكُ بمقتضاه البائع المبيع للمشتري مقابل ثمنٍ نقدي.
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.