Article 582 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 582 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: إنشاء عقد الكفالة
The article allows suretyship to be immediate, conditional, for a limited period, or deferred to a term.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يصح أن تكون الكفالة منجزةً أو معلقةً على شرط أو مؤقتةً أو مضافةً إلى أجل.
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 582 explained in plain English
This article sets out the forms suretyship may validly take, which are four:
- Immediate suretyship: arises and takes effect as soon as it is concluded, without being made conditional or deferred.
- Suretyship conditional on a condition: its existence or effect depends on the occurrence of something the parties specify.
- Suretyship for a limited period: fixed for a particular period.
- Suretyship deferred to a term: its effect begins at a later time the parties specify.
This flexibility gives the surety and the creditor freedom to design the suretyship to suit the transaction; a surety may, for example, not wish to remain bound for an unspecified period, and so make his suretyship for a limited period.
Later provisions are linked to this article, including Article 583, which deals with suretyship for a future debt and a debt conditional on a condition, and the surety's right to withdraw from his suretyship for a future debt if no period is fixed for it. Even so, suretyship remains dependent on the validity of the obligation guaranteed, as Article 581 provides.
In drafting a suretyship contract, it is important for the contract to state precisely the form of suretyship intended. To review the drafting of a suretyship or learn its effect, you are advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in civil cases.
Practical example
A landlord in Riyadh asked for a surety for a tenant, and Naif agreed to be surety for one year only. This is a suretyship for a limited period, which is a valid form of suretyship under the article.
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 582 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
May suretyship be for a fixed period?
Yes. Suretyship may be for a limited period.
May suretyship be made conditional on a condition?
Yes. Suretyship may be conditional on a condition.
What types of suretyship are there in the Civil Transactions Law?
Suretyship may be immediate, conditional on a condition, for a limited period, or deferred to a term.
More articles on Suretyship
- Article 222
The Article provides that solidarity among debtors is not presumed and arises only by agreement or legal provision.
لا يكون التضامن بين المدينين إلا باتفاق أو بنص نظامي.
- Article 578
The article defines suretyship as a contract in which the surety undertakes to the creditor to perform an obligation owed by the debtor if the debtor himself does not perform it.
الكفالة عقدٌ يلتزم بمقتضاه الكفيل للدائن بأن يفي بالتزام على المدين إذا لم يَفِ به المدين نفسه.
- Article 579
Suretyship is concluded between the surety and the creditor, the creditor's silence counts as acceptance, and it does not depend on the debtor's acceptance, so it is valid without his knowledge and despite his objection.
1- تنعقد الكفالة بين الكفيل والدائن، ويعد سكوت الدائن إذا وجه إليه الإيجاب قبولًا للكفالة. 2- لا يتوقف انعقاد الكفالة على قبول المدين، وتجوز دون علمه، وتجوز أيض
- Article 580
The article requires the surety to have full capacity, limits a suretyship by a person on his deathbed to one third of the estate unless the heirs approve, and a suretyship to or for an heir takes effect only with their approval.
1- يجب في عقد الكفالة أن يكون الكفيل كامل الأهلية. 2- الكفالة من المريض مرض الموت لا تنفذ في حق الورثة فيما زاد على (ثلث) التركة إلا بإجازتهم، وإذا كانت الكفالة
- Article 581
The article provides that suretyship is valid only if the obligation guaranteed is valid.
لا تكون الكفالة صحيحة إلا إذا كان الالتزام المكفول به صحيحًا.
- Article 583
Suretyship is valid for a future debt if the amount guaranteed is fixed in advance, and for a debt conditional on a condition; for a future debt with no fixed period the surety may withdraw by notifying the creditor.
1- تصح الكفالة في الدين المستقبل إذا حدد مقدمًا مقدار المكفول به، وتصح في الدين المعلق على شرط. 2- للكفيل في الدين المستقبل إذا لم يعين مدة للكفالة أن يرجع عن ك
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.