Article 315 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 315 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: المبيع والثمن
Failing to fix a price does not void the sale where the circumstances show the parties intended the market price or the price used in their dealings.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا لم يحدد المتعاقدان ثمنًا للمبيع فلا يترتب على ذلك بطلان البيع متى تبيَّن من الظروف توجه إرادتهما إلى سعر السوق أو السعر الذي جرى عليه التعامل بينهما.
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 315 explained in plain English
This article protects a sale from being void where the parties did not fix a price for the item sold. The rule it sets is that failing to fix the price does not make the sale void, but on this condition:
- It must be clear from the circumstances that the intention of the parties was directed to one of two things:
- the market price, or
- the price that has been used in dealings between them, such as the usual price in their earlier dealings.
If the circumstances show neither of these, this article does not provide the ruling, because it ties the absence of voidness to this intention being shown.
This article complements Article 314, which provides that if the parties agree to fix the price by the market price, the market price at the time and place of the sale is taken into account, and if there is no market at the place of sale, the place whose prices custom holds to be applicable is taken.
Article 316 regulates a different form, which is fixing the price on the basis of the seller's capital in the item sold, whether at a markup, at a loss, or at cost.
This ruling is useful in repeated dealings between traders and their customers, where orders are sometimes sent without stating the price, relying on the course of dealing. If there is a dispute over the intended price, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in civil cases.
Practical example
A restaurant in Madinah has for years bought vegetables from a single supplier at a fixed price agreed between them, and on one occasion ordered a quantity without mentioning the price. Under this article the sale is not void, where the circumstances show that their intention was directed to the price used in their dealings.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentA question about Article 315 of Civil Transactions Law?
Describe what happened and specialist lawyers answer. You can write in English.
- Completely free
- Lawyers from the directory answer
- Your name stays hidden
Civil Litigation & Compensation lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Civil Litigation & Compensation lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Active contributor
Unwan Law Firm
Frequently asked questions about Article 315 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Is a sale void if the price is not stated?
It is not void where the circumstances show that the parties intended the market price or the price used in their dealings.
Which price is used if none was fixed?
The market price or the price used in dealings between the parties, according to what the circumstances show they intended.
More articles on Sale Contract
- Article 23
The article defines consumable things as those whose use, according to what they are prepared for, is limited to consuming or spending them, and treats everything prepared in stores for sale as consumable.
الأشياء القابلة للاستهلاك هي التي ينحصر استعمالها -بحسب ما أُعدّت له- في استهلاكها أو إنفاقها، ويعد قابلًا للاستهلاك كل ما أعد في المتاجر للبيع.
- Article 44
Paying earnest money gives only the payer the right to withdraw from the contract without recovering it, unless otherwise agreed; the court sets the withdrawal period if the parties have not.
1- دفع العربون عند إبرام العقد يفيد أن لدافع العربون وحده الحق في العدول عن العقد، وليس له إذا عدل أن يسترد مبلغ العربون، وذلك كله ما لم يتفق على خلافه. 2- إذا
- 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.
تُعدُّ عقود المعاوضات منعقدةً على أساس سلامة محل العقد من العيوب إلا ما جرى العرف على التسامح فيه، فإذا تبيَّن في المحل عيبٌ لم يجر العرف على التسامح فيه؛ عُدَّ
- Article 165
The article provides that a right to a thing specified by kind attaches to a particular item only once it is set apart, and lets the creditor, on non-performance, obtain a like item at the debtor's expense.
1- إذا تعلق الحق بشيء معين بالنوع لا بالذات، فإنه لا يختص بشيء بذاته من ذلك النوع إلا بإفرازه. 2- إذا لم يقم المدين بتنفيذ التزامه جاز للدائن أن يحصل على شيء من
- Article 166
The article places the risk of destruction or damage on the debtor who failed to deliver, in two cases: transfer of a real right and an obligation to perform work involving delivery, each on different conditions.
1- الالتزام بنقل حق عيني يتضمن الالتزام بتسليم الشيء والمحافظة عليه حتى تسليمه، فإذا لم يقم المدين بتسليمه حتى هلك أو تلف كانت تبعة ذلك عليه. 2- إذا كان محل الا
- Article 307
Article 307 defines sale as a contract under which the seller transfers ownership of the item sold to the buyer for a cash price.
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.