Article 463 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 463 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الثاني: التزامات المقاول
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 بالغرض المقصود وفقًا للعرف.
2- إذا كان صاحب العمل هو الذي قدم المواد؛ التزم المقاول بأن يبذل في المحافظة عليها عناية الشخص المعتاد وأن يراعي في عمله الأصول الفنية وأن يرد إلى صاحب العمل ما بقي منها.
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 463 explained in plain English
This article sets out the contractor's obligations concerning materials, building on Article 462, which provided that materials may come from the contractor or from the client.
First case: the contractor supplies the materials. 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, if any.
- If there are no agreed specifications, the contractor must see that the materials are fit for the intended purpose according to custom.
Second case: the client supplies the materials. The contractor has three obligations:
- To give the materials the care of an ordinary person in safeguarding them.
- To observe the technical rules in the work.
- To return to the client what is left of the materials.
The practical message for the client is that setting specifications in the contract protects the client's right, because where there are none, the standard of custom and the intended purpose is used. It is followed by Article 464, which puts the expenses of the machines and tools needed to complete the work on the contractor unless otherwise agreed. The text does not itself state the consequence of breaching these obligations, and to assess a particular position it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in civil matters or in contracting and real estate cases.
Practical example
Sarah contracted with a contractor to build her house wall in Riyadh and stipulated that the contractor supply the bricks and cement without setting any particular specifications. Here the contractor must see that the materials are fit for the intended purpose according to custom. Had Sarah bought the materials, the contractor would have had to safeguard them with the care of an ordinary person and return what is left after the work.
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 463 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
What is the contractor's responsibility if the contractor supplies the materials?
The contractor is responsible for meeting the agreed conditions and specifications, and if there are none, must see that the materials are fit for the intended purpose according to custom.
What must the contractor do if the client supplies the materials?
The contractor must safeguard them with the care of an ordinary person, observe the technical rules in the work, and return what is left of them.
Who gets the leftover materials after the work is finished?
If the client supplied the materials, the contractor must return to the client what is left of them.
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 462
The article allows the contractor to carry out the work with materials supplied by the contractor or with materials supplied by the client.
يصح أن يكون التزام المقاول بتنفيذ العمل بمواد من عنده أو من صاحب العمل.
- 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.