Article 359 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 359 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع السادس: بيع ملك الغير
A sale without permission of a specific thing by someone who does not own it does not take effect against the owner unless he approves it, and the buyer may seek annulment on conditions.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- إذا باع شخص بلا إذن شيئًا معينًا بالذات وهو لا يملكه؛ فلا ينفذ هذا البيع في حق المالك، وإذا أجازه نفذ في حقه، دون إخلال بحقوق الغير.
2- للمشتري طلب إبطال البيع ما لم تؤل ملكية المبيع إلى البائع بعد العقد، أو يُجز المالك البيع.
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 359 explained in plain English
This article deals with the sale of another's property: a person sells without permission a thing specific in itself, such as a particular plot of land or a particular car, which he does not own.
First: the position of the true owner.
- The sale does not take effect against the owner; it neither binds him nor transfers his ownership by itself.
- If the owner approves the sale, it takes effect against him, but without prejudice to the rights of third parties.
Second: the position of the buyer. The buyer may request annulment of the sale, and this right lapses in two cases:
- if ownership of the item passes to the seller after the contract, for example the seller later buys it from its owner;
- if the owner approves the sale.
The reason in both cases is that the cause of the defect has gone, so the buyer no longer has an interest in annulment.
Note that the ruling is limited to a sale without permission and to an item specific in itself; a person who sells with the owner's permission does not fall within this ruling.
Article 360 complements this ruling: if the buyer did not know that the item sold was not owned by the seller and the sale is annulled, he may claim compensation even if the seller was in good faith. Article 358 deals with a different matter, the bar on judges and others buying disputed rights.
Anyone who discovers that his property was sold without his permission, or that he bought from a non-owner, is advised to consult a lawyer specialized in civil or real estate cases.
Practical example
Hassan sold land in Dammam owned by his cousin without his permission, and Badr bought it from him. The sale does not take effect against the cousin unless he approves it. Badr may request annulment of the sale, unless the cousin approves it or Hassan later buys the land from him so that its ownership passes to Hassan.
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 359 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 359 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
What is the ruling on selling another's property without his permission?
It does not take effect against the owner, and if he approves it, it takes effect against him without prejudice to the rights of third parties.
May the buyer annul the sale if it turns out the seller is not the owner?
Yes, unless ownership of the item passes to the seller after the contract or the owner approves the sale.
What if the seller buys the item from its owner after the sale?
The buyer's right to request annulment lapses because ownership passed to the seller after the contract.
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.