Article 33 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 33 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: أركان العقد أولًا: الرضى
Offer and acceptance may be by anything that indicates the will: words, writing, an understood gesture or mutual exchange, explicit or implicit, unless the legal provisions, the agreement or the nature of the transaction require otherwise.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يكون الإيجاب والقبول بكل ما يدل على الإرادة.
2- يجوز أن يكون التعبير عن الإرادة باللفظ أو بالكتابة أو بالإشارة المفهومة أو بالمعاطاة، وأن يكون صريحًا أو ضمنيًّا، وذلك ما لم تقتض النصوص النظامية أو الاتفاق أو طبيعة المعاملة خلاف 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 33 explained in plain English
This article broadens the means of expressing the will in contracting and does not limit them to a particular form. Paragraph 1 provides that offer and acceptance may be by anything that indicates the will.
Paragraph 2 details the permitted forms of expression:
- Words: for example one says "I sold to you" and the other says "I accepted".
- Writing: such as a written contract or exchanged messages.
- An understood gesture.
- Mutual exchange (mu'atah): that is, actual exchange without speaking, such as the buyer taking the goods and paying the displayed price.
The expression may also be explicit, indicating the will directly, or implicit, understood from conduct that indicates it.
But this flexibility has limits: it applies unless the legal provisions, the agreement or the nature of the transaction require otherwise. If a legal provision requires a particular form, or the parties agree, for example, that contracting be in writing, or the nature of the transaction requires otherwise, that must be followed.
This article complements Article 32, which requires, for consent to be achieved, that the will be expressed by what indicates it, and Article 34 deals with a special case, displaying goods and services with their price stated, which it treats as an offer unless there are indications to the contrary.
In a dispute over whether a particular act expresses acceptance, a lawyer who specializes in civil cases can be consulted.
Practical example
Fahd entered a grocery store in Dammam, took a can of juice bearing its price and placed the price with the cashier, who took it, without either of them speaking. This is contracting by mutual exchange, which is one of the forms of expressing the will that the article permits.
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 33 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Is a contract valid without words?
Yes. The will may be expressed by writing, an understood gesture or mutual exchange, unless the legal provisions, the agreement or the nature of the transaction require otherwise.
What is mutual exchange (mu'atah)?
It is contracting by actual exchange, such as taking the goods and paying their price without uttering an offer and acceptance, and the article provided that the will may be expressed by it.
Is implicit acceptance permitted?
Yes. The article permits the expression of the will to be explicit or implicit, unless the legal provisions, the agreement or the nature of the transaction require otherwise.
More articles on Elements of the Contract
- Article 11
The article allows a chosen domicile to be adopted for a particular act, serving as the domicile for everything relating to it unless expressly limited, and requires writing to prove it.
1- يجوز اتخاذ موطنٍ مختارٍ لعملٍ معيَّن، ويكون هو الموطن لكل ما يتعلق بهذا العمل؛ ما لم يُشترط صراحةً قصر هذا الموطن على أعمالٍ دون أخرى. 2- لا يجوز إثبات وجود
- Article 30
The article provides that the rules of the contract chapter apply to named and unnamed contracts, without prejudice to the legal provisions that regulate contracts of a special nature.
تطبق الأحكام الواردة في هذا الفصل على العقود المسماة وغير المسماة، وذلك دون إخلال بالأحكام الواردة في النصوص النظامية التي تنظم عقودًا ذات طبيعة خاصة.
- Article 31
A contract arises when one party's offer is joined to the other's acceptance to produce a legal effect, subject to the particular forms the legal provisions set for the formation of certain contracts.
ينشأ العقد بارتباط الإيجاب بالقبول لإحداث أثر نظامي، مع مراعاة ما تقرره النصوص النظامية من أوضاعٍ معيّنةٍ لانعقاد العقد.
- Article 32
Consent in a contract is achieved when the wills of two or more contracting parties who have capacity to contract coincide and the will is expressed by what indicates it.
يتحقق الرضى إذا توافقت إرادتا متعاقدين (أو أكثر) لديهما أهلية التعاقد وعُبِّر عن الإرادة بما يدل عليها.
- Article 34
Displaying goods and services with their price stated is an offer, and an advertisement with the prevailing prices is not an offer, unless there are indications to the contrary in either case.
1- يعد عرض البضائع والخدمات مع بيان ثمنها إيجابًا، إلا إذا قامت دلائل تفيد خلاف ذلك. 2- لا يعدُّ الإعلان مع بيان الأسعار المتعامل بها إيجابًا، إلا إذا قامت دلائ
- Article 35
The offeror may withdraw his offer before acceptance is made unless the offer has a fixed period, and if he does not inform the other party he compensates him for the harm suffered but not the expected profit.
1- للموجب أن يعدل عن الإيجاب قبل صدور القبول؛ ما لم تكن للإيجاب مدةٌ معينة. 2- إذا لم تكن للإيجاب مدة معينة؛ فعلى الموجب إذا عدل إعلام من وجه إليه الإيجاب بذلك،
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.