Article 484 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 484 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: إنشاء عقد الوكالة
Any work that is not an act of administration must be covered by a special agency that specifies the type of work and the acts it requires.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
كل عمل ليس من أعمال الإدارة يجب أن تكون الوكالة فيه خاصة تُعيِّن نوع العمل وما تستلزمه الوكالة فيه من تصرفات.
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 484 explained in plain English
This article distinguishes between two kinds of work for which an agent may be appointed: acts of administration and others. If the work required of the agent is not an act of administration, the agency for it must be special, meaning it must specify:
- The type of work authorized.
- The acts that the agency requires for this work.
This means an agent cannot do work beyond administration on the strength of an agency that does not expressly mention that work. The article does not list acts of administration, so determining what falls within them and what falls outside depends on the nature of each act.
The article is linked to what precedes it: Article 483 allows a special agency for a particular type of act even if the subject is not specified, except for donations, and this article makes a special agency mandatory for any work that is not an act of administration. It is followed by Article 485, which makes later approval of an act equivalent to a prior agency, so if the agent exceeds what the agency allows and the principal then approves the act, it is treated as if the agent had been authorized for it.
A person issuing an agency regarding property or important interests should state in it every act the agent is to have power to do, and consult a lawyer specializing in civil matters in case of doubt.
Practical example
Ahmed appointed his friend to manage his building in Dammam, and the agency mentioned nothing but administration. A buyer then offered to buy the building. If selling is work that is not an act of administration, the friend does not have the power under this agency; he needs a special agency specifying this work, or Ahmed's approval of the act after it has taken place.
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 484 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Is an administration agency enough for other acts?
Any work that is not an act of administration must be covered by a special agency specifying the type of work and the acts it requires.
What must a special agency contain under this article?
It must specify the type of work and the acts the agency requires for it.
Does the article define what acts of administration are?
No. The article does not list acts of administration; it requires a special agency for what is not among them.
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.