Article 589 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 589 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الثاني: آثار عقد الكفالة
If the debt falls due and the creditor does not claim against the debtor, a non-joint surety may warn him, and if he takes no action within 180 days the surety is discharged.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا حلَّ الدين ولم يطالب الدائن المدين به جاز للكفيل إذا لم يكن متضامنًا مع المدين أن يُعذر الدائن باتخاذ الإجراءات ضد المدين، وإذا لم يقم الدائن بذلك خلال (مائة وثمانين) يومًا من تاريخ الإعذار برئت ذمة الكفيل من الكفالة ولو منح الدائن المدين أجلًا؛ ما لم يكن ذلك بموافقة الكفيل.
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 589 explained in plain English
This article addresses the case of the creditor's inaction in claiming against the debtor after the debt falls due, and gives the surety a means of protecting himself.
Conditions for applying the rule:
- that the debt has fallen due.
- that the creditor has not claimed it from the debtor.
- that the surety is not jointly liable with the debtor.
What the surety is entitled to do: to warn the creditor to take action against the debtor.
The effect: if the creditor does not take those steps within 180 days of the date of the warning, the surety is discharged from the suretyship.
The text adds that this discharge occurs even if the creditor gave the debtor a period of grace, so the creditor cannot avoid the effect of the time limit by granting the debtor a delay, unless that delay was with the surety's consent.
The purpose of the rule is that the surety not be left in suspense while the creditor delays in pursuing the debtor, which may weaken the chances of collecting the debt from him.
Linked to this article are Article 588, which discharges the surety to the extent of the guarantees the creditor lost through his fault, and Article 590, which extinguishes the creditor's right to claim against the surety if he does not submit his claim in the debtor's liquidation proceedings, to the extent of what he would have collected.
Because the warning and the counting of the period require precision, you are advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in civil cases.
Practical example
Sami stood surety for his friend in a non-joint suretyship for a debt to a bank, and the debt fell due without the bank claiming against the debtor. Sami sent the bank a warning asking it to take action against the debtor, and the bank took no action within 180 days. Sami is discharged from the suretyship.
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 589 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
How can the surety be released from the suretyship if the creditor does not claim against the debtor?
If the debt falls due and the creditor does not claim against the debtor, a non-joint surety may warn the creditor, and if he takes no action within 180 days of the warning, the surety is discharged.
Does this rule apply to a joint surety?
No. The text limits it to a surety who is not jointly liable with the debtor.
Does the creditor giving the debtor a grace period prevent the surety's discharge?
No. The surety is discharged even if the creditor gave the debtor a period of grace, unless that was with the surety's consent.
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 582
The article allows suretyship to be immediate, conditional, for a limited period, or deferred to a term.
يصح أن تكون الكفالة منجزةً أو معلقةً على شرط أو مؤقتةً أو مضافةً إلى أجل.
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.