Article 5 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 5 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: الشخص ذو الصفة الطبيعية
The Article refers the rules on persons' names, titles, families, kinship and nationalities to the statutory provisions specific to them.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تسري على أسماء الأشخاص وألقابهم وأسرهم وقراباتهم وجنسياتهم النصوص النظامية الخاصة بها.
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 5 explained in plain English
This Article concerns elements that distinguish a person and determine his position in society, namely:
- Names.
- Titles.
- Family.
- Kinship.
- Nationality.
The Article provided that these matters are governed by the statutory provisions specific to them. The Civil Transactions Law did not undertake to regulate them fully in this Article but left that to the laws specific to each. Anyone wishing to know the rules for acquiring nationality or the rules on names and titles, for example, therefore refers to the statutory provisions specific to that.
This accords with the approach of Article 4, which referred the rules on the missing person, the absent person and the person of unknown parentage to the provisions specific to them.
Nevertheless, the Law itself contains rules on the meaning of kinship: Article 6 defines direct kinship as the tie between ascendants and descendants, and indirect kinship as the bond between persons who share a common ancestor without one being a descendant of the other.
In matters relating to parentage, family or nationality, it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in personal status.
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 5 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Does the Civil Transactions Law regulate the rules on nationality?
It does not do so in this Article; the statutory provisions specific to nationality apply to it.
What governs persons' names and titles?
The statutory provisions specific to them apply, under Article 5 of the Civil Transactions Law.
More articles on Capacity and General Provisions
- Article 1
The Article sets the order of what applies to civil matters: the Law's provisions, then the general rules in the final provisions, then the most suitable rulings of Sharia, without prejudice to special statutory provisions.
1- تُطبق نصوص هذا النظام على جميع المسائل التي تناولتها في لفظها أو في فحواها، فإن لم يوجد نص يمكن تطبيقه طُبقت القواعد الكلية الواردة في الأحكام الختامية، فإن
- Article 2
The Article provides that all periods and time limits in the Civil Transactions Law are calculated by the Hijri calendar.
تحسب المدد والمواعيد الواردة في هذا النظام بالتقويم الهجري.
- Article 3
The Article provides that a person's legal personality begins with complete live birth and ends with death, and that the rights of an unborn child in the womb are determined by statutory provisions.
1- تبدأ شخصية الإنسان بتمام ولادته حيًّا وتنتهي بموته. 2- حقوق الحمل المستكن تحددها النصوص النظامية.
- Article 4
The Article refers the rules on the missing person, the absent person and the person of unknown parentage to the statutory provisions specific to them rather than regulating them in the Civil Transactions Law.
تسري على المفقود والغائب ومجهول النسب النصوص النظامية الخاصة بهم.
- Article 6
The article defines direct kinship as the link between ascendants and descendants, and indirect kinship as the bond between persons who share a common ancestor without one being a descendant of the other.
1- القرابة المباشرة هي الصلة بين الأصول والفروع. 2- القرابة غير المباشرة هي الرابطة بين أشخاصٍ يجمعهم أصلٌ مشتركٌ دون أن يكون أحدهم فرعًا للآخر.
- Article 7
The article explains how to count the degree of direct and indirect kinship, and treats a spouse's relatives as having the same kinship and degree in relation to the other spouse.
1- تتحدد درجة القرابة المباشرة باعتبار كل فرعٍ درجةً عند الصعود للأصل دون حساب الأصل، وتتحدد درجة القرابة غير المباشرة بعدد الفروع صعودًا من الفرع للأصل المشترك
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.