Article 352 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 352 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الثاني: آثار عقد البيع أولًا: التزامات البائع
The costs of paying the price, receiving the item, the sale contract and its registration fall on the buyer unless the parties agree otherwise.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تكون نفقات الوفاء بالثمن وتسلم المبيع وعقد البيع وتسجيله على المشتري، وذلك كله ما لم يتفق على خلافه.
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 352 explained in plain English
This article settles a question that recurs in every sale: who bears the costs? The rule is that the buyer bears four kinds of costs:
- The costs of paying the price, such as bank transfer fees.
- The costs of receiving the item, such as the costs of taking delivery of it.
- The costs of the sale contract, such as the costs of drafting or documenting the contract.
- The costs of registering the sale, which matter for property that must be registered.
But this rule is not mandatory; it applies unless the parties agree otherwise. It may be agreed that the seller bears some or all of these costs, or that they share them. It is therefore important that the contract state expressly who bears each type of cost, especially in large transactions.
The article is linked to Article 351, which obliges the buyer to receive the item at the place where it is at the time of the sale and to remove it without delay, apart from the time transport requires, unless otherwise agreed.
When drafting a sale contract involving large costs, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in civil or real estate cases.
Practical example
Mona bought an apartment in Riyadh, and the contract did not say who bears the costs of documenting the contract and registering the sale. Under this article these costs fall on Mona as the buyer. Had she agreed with the seller that he would bear them or that they would share them, their agreement would apply.
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 352 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 352 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Who bears the costs of the sale contract and its registration?
The buyer, unless the parties agree otherwise.
May it be agreed that the seller pays the costs?
Yes. The article places the costs on the buyer unless otherwise agreed.
Which costs fall on the buyer?
The costs of paying the price, receiving the item, the sale contract, and its registration.
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.