Article 462 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 462 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: إنشاء عقد المقاولة
The article allows the contractor to carry out the work with materials supplied by the contractor or with materials supplied by the client.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يصح أن يكون التزام المقاول بتنفيذ العمل بمواد من عنده أو من صاحب العمل.
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 462 explained in plain English
This article shows that a contracting contract is valid in two forms as to the source of the materials with which the work is carried out:
- Materials from the contractor: the contractor undertakes to carry out the work and supply the materials together.
- Materials from the client: the client supplies the materials, and the contractor's undertaking is limited to the work.
These are what people in the building market know as "contracting with materials" contracts and "labor-only" or "workmanship" contracts. Article 461 before it defined contracting as an undertaking to make a thing or perform work for a fee, and this article makes clear that the materials may be supplied by either party without changing the description of the contract.
Determining the source of the materials has practical importance, because Article 463 gives the contractor different obligations in each form:
- If the client stipulates that the contractor supply all or some of the materials, the contractor is responsible for meeting the agreed conditions and specifications, failing which the contractor must see that they are fit for the purpose according to custom.
- If the client supplies the materials, the contractor must look after them with the care of an ordinary person, observe the technical rules, and return what is left of them.
The contract should therefore state expressly who supplies the materials. In a dispute it is possible to consult a lawyer specializing in civil matters or in contracting and real estate cases.
Practical example
Khaled contracted with a contractor to finish his apartment in Jeddah, and they agreed that Khaled would buy the tiles and paint himself, with the contractor limited to installation for a fee. This is a valid contracting contract with materials from the client. Had they agreed that the contractor would supply the materials, the contract would also be valid.
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 462 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Must the contractor supply the building materials?
No. The article allows the work to be carried out with materials from the contractor or from the client.
Does the contract remain a contracting contract if the owner supplies the materials?
Yes. The article provides that the contractor may undertake to carry out the work with materials from the client.
More articles on Contracting (Construction) Contract
- Article 167
The article regulates performance of an obligation to perform work: the creditor's right to refuse performance by anyone but the debtor, performance at the debtor's expense with or without court permission when urgent, and a judgment standing in for the work.
إذا كان الالتزام بعمل فتسري على تنفيذه الأحكام الآتية: أ- إذا نص الاتفاق أو اقتضت طبيعة العمل أن ينفذ المدين الالتزام بنفسه جاز للدائن أن يرفض الوفاء من غير الم
- Article 461
The article defines the contracting (muqawala) contract as one in which the contractor undertakes to make a thing or perform work for a fee, without being subordinate to or an agent of the client.
المقاولة عقدٌ يلتزم بمقتضاه المقاول بصنع شيءٍ أو أداء عملٍ مقابل أجر دون أن يكون تابعًا لصاحب العمل ولا نائبًا عنه.
- Article 463
The article sets the contractor's obligations on materials: if the contractor supplies them, they must meet the specifications or be fit for the purpose by custom; if the client supplies them, the contractor must safeguard them, observe technical rules and return what is left.
1- إذا اشترط صاحب العمل أن يقدم المقاول المواد كلها أو بعضها؛ كان المقاول مسؤولًا عن توفر الشروط والمواصفات المتفق عليها إن وجدت، وإلا التزم بأن تكون وافيةً بال
- Article 464
The article puts the expenses of the machines and tools needed to complete the work on the contractor, unless the parties agree otherwise.
يتحمَّل المقاول نفقات ما يستلزمه إنجاز العمل من آلات وأدوات، ما لم يتفق على خلاف ذلك.
- Article 465
The article requires the contractor to complete the work according to the contract terms and within the agreed period, failing which according to the recognized standards and within the reasonable time the nature of the work requires.
يلتزم المقاول بإنجاز العمل وفقًا لشروط العقد وفي المدة المتفق عليها، فإن لم تكن هناك شروطٌ أو لم يُتفق على مدةٍ التزم بإنجازه وفقًا للأصول المتعارف عليها وفي ال
- Article 466
If the contractor breaches the contract, the client may call on the contractor to correct the work and then give it to another contractor at the contractor's expense or request termination, and may request termination at once in specified cases.
1- إذا أخل المقاول بشروط العقد أثناء سير العمل فلصاحب العمل إعذاره بالالتزام بها وتصحيح العمل خلال مدة معقولة يعينها له، فإذا انقضت هذه المدة دون تصحيح فلصاحب ا
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.