Article 483 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 483 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: إنشاء عقد الوكالة
A special agency for a particular type of act is valid even if the subject of the act is not specified, unless the act is a gratuitous one.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تصح الوكالة الخاصة في نوع معين من أنواع التصرفات النظامية ولو لم يعين محل هذا التصرف إلا إذا كان التصرف من التبرعات.
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 483 explained in plain English
This article deals with special agency, which specifies a particular type of legal act, such as selling or leasing. It provides that such an agency is valid even if the principal did not specify the subject of the act, that is, the particular thing on which the sale or lease will fall.
If a person authorizes another to sell his property or lease his real estate without naming a particular property, the agency is valid because the type of act is specified.
But the article excepts gratuitous acts (donations); if the act is a donation, specifying its type is not enough, and its subject must be specified too. The reasoning is evident: a donation takes property out of the principal's estate for nothing in return, so it needs more precise specification as a protection for the principal.
The article comes in a related context:
- Article 482 prevents an agency in general terms that do not specify the type of act at all.
- Article 484 requires the agency to be special for any work that is not an act of administration, specifying the type of work and the acts it requires.
When issuing an agency for a donation or for an important act, it is advisable to specify the subject precisely, and to consult a lawyer specializing in civil matters when needed.
Practical example
Sarah appointed her brother to sell whichever of her cars is needed without naming a particular car. The agency is valid because the type of act, selling, is specified. But had she appointed him to donate some of her money to a charity without specifying the money to be donated, that would not be enough, because a donation requires specifying the subject.
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 483 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Is an agency to sell valid without specifying the item to be sold?
Yes. A special agency for a particular type of act is valid even if the subject of the act is not specified, unless it is a donation.
What is the rule on an agency for a donation without specifying what is donated?
Specifying the type of act is not enough for it, because the article excepted acts that are gratuitous.
What is a special agency?
It is an agency that specifies a particular type of legal act.
More articles on Agency Contract
- Article 87
The article permits contracting through representation unless statutory texts require otherwise, and divides representation into agreed, judicial and statutory.
1- يصح التعاقد بالنيابة؛ ما لم تقتض النصوص النظامية خلاف ذلك. 2- تكون النيابة في التعاقد اتفاقيةً أو قضائيةً أو نظاميةً.
- Article 88
The article prohibits a representative from exceeding the limits of his representation as set in the instrument creating it, whether a contract, a court judgment or a statutory text.
ليس للنائب أن يتجاوز حدود نيابته المعيَّنة في سند إنشائها، سواء أكان السند عقدًا أم حكمًا قضائيًّا أم نصًّا نظاميًّا.
- Article 90
If the representative contracts within the limits of his representation and in the principal's name, the rights and obligations arising from the contract are attributed to the principal.
إذا تعاقد النائب في حدود نيابته باسم الأصيل فإن ما ينشأ عن العقد من حقوقٍ والتزاماتٍ يُضاف إلى الأصيل.
- Article 152
The article provides that when the beneficiary approves what the volunteer agent did, the rules of agency apply to that work.
تسري أحكام الوكالة إذا أجاز المنتفع ما قام به الفضولي.
- Article 356
A representative may not buy for himself what he was entrusted to sell, even at auction or in another's name, without permission; the same applies to an intermediary, expert and the like.
مع مراعاة النصوص النظامية؛ ليس للنائب أن يشتري لنفسه باسمه أو اسم غيره ولو بطريق المزاد ما عهد إليه بيعه بمقتضى نيابته ما لم يكن مأذونًا له بذلك، كما لا يحق ذلك
- Article 357
A sale by a representative, intermediary or expert to himself does not take effect against the owner unless he approves it, while a good-faith specific successor who acquired a real right for consideration is protected.
إذا تمَّ البيع في الأحوال المنصوص عليها في المادة (السادسة والخمسين بعد الثلاثمائة) من هذا النظام، لم ينفذ في حق من تم لحسابه إلا إذا أجازه، وليس له أن يحتج بعد
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.

