Article 321 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 321 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الثاني: آثار عقد البيع أولًا: التزامات البائع
The seller must deliver the item in the condition it was in at the time of sale and bear delivery costs unless agreed otherwise, and deliver it free of any third-party right unknown to the buyer.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يلتزم البائع بتسليم المبيع إلى المشتري بالحال التي كان عليها وقت البيع، وتكون نفقات تسليم المبيع على البائع، وذلك كله ما لم يتفق على خلافه.
2- يلتزم البائع بتسليم المبيع مجرَّدًا من كل حق للغير لا يعلمه المشتري.
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 321 explained in plain English
This article sets out the seller's obligation to deliver the item sold, with three rules:
- Condition of the item: the seller must deliver the item in the condition it was in at the time of the sale; he may not deliver it after its condition has changed from what it was when the contract was made.
- Delivery costs: these are on the seller.
- Freedom from third-party rights: the seller must deliver the item free of any right of a third party that the buyer does not know of.
The first paragraph states that the rulings on the condition of the item and delivery costs apply unless the parties agree otherwise; for example, it may be agreed that the buyer bears transport costs. The second paragraph is limited to a third-party right that the buyer does not know of; if the buyer knows of the third party's right, this obligation does not cover it according to the wording of the paragraph.
This article is linked to Article 320, which permits the seller, where the price is deferred or paid in installments, to stipulate that the transfer of ownership is suspended until the buyer pays the entire price, even if the item has been delivered; so delivery may take place before ownership passes in that case. Article 322 provides that delivery of the item includes its accessories, whatever is attached to it permanently, and whatever custom treats as part of its appurtenances even if not mentioned in the contract.
A buyer who receives an item whose condition has changed, or on which a right of another person that he did not know of appears, is advised to consult a lawyer specialized in civil cases to learn his rights.
Practical example
Badr bought an apartment in Khobar, and after delivery discovered that the seller had leased it to another person without telling him, and that the tenant insists on his right to live there. Under this article the seller was obliged to deliver the apartment free of any right of a third party that the buyer did not know of.
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 321 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Who pays the costs of delivering the item sold?
The costs of delivering the item are on the seller unless the parties agree otherwise.
In what condition must the item be delivered?
In the condition it was in at the time of the sale, unless agreed otherwise.
What if another person has a right over the item sold?
The seller must deliver the item free of any right of a third party that the buyer does not know of.
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.