Article 613 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 613 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: أحكام عامة لحق الملكية أولًا: نطاق الحق
An owner may not go to excess in using his right to the harm of a neighbor, and a neighbor may request removal of harms exceeding the usual limit even if a license exists.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- على المالك ألا يغلو في استعمال حقه إلى حد يضر بملك الجار.
2- ليس للجار أن يرجع على جاره في مضار الجوار المألوفة التي لا يمكن تجنبها، وإنما له أن يطلب إزالة هذه المضار إذا تجاوزت الحد المألوف، ويُراعى في ذلك العرف، وطبيعة العقارات، وموقع كل منها بالنسبة إلى الآخر، والغرض الذي خصصت له، ولا يحول الترخيص الصادر من الجهات المختصة دون استعمال الجار حقه في المطالبة بإزالة هذه المضار.
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 613 explained in plain English
This article regulates harm between neighbors, that is, the harm that may reach a neighbor from his neighbor's use of his property, in two paragraphs:
Paragraph (1): An owner must not go to excess in using his right to the point of harming his neighbor's property.
Paragraph (2): It distinguishes between two kinds of harm:
- Usual harms that cannot be avoided: a neighbor has no recourse against his neighbor because of them, as they are of the nature of neighborliness.
- Harms that exceed the usual limit: the neighbor may request their removal.
To determine whether the harm is usual or excessive, the text takes into account:
- Custom.
- The nature of the properties.
- The location of each in relation to the other.
- The purpose for which it is designated.
The article provides that a license issued by the competent authorities does not prevent the neighbor from claiming the removal of these harms; the harming neighbor's obtaining of a license is not enough alone to defeat the claim.
It is linked to Article 612, which bars an owner from harmful dealing with property to which a third party's right attaches except with his permission, and to Article 614 on the shared wall. Anyone suffering harm from a neighbor would do well to consult a lawyer who specializes in real estate cases to assess whether the harm exceeds the usual limit.
Practical example
Sami's neighbor in a residential district of Riyadh opened a workshop running noisy machines all night, and he holds a license for it. If the harm exceeds the usual limit, taking into account custom, the nature of the district and the purpose for which the properties are designated, Sami may request its removal, and the license does not prevent him from doing so.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentA question about Article 613 of Civil Transactions Law?
Describe what happened and specialist lawyers answer. You can write in English.
- Completely free
- Lawyers from the directory answer
- Your name stays hidden
Civil Litigation & Compensation lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Civil Litigation & Compensation lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Active contributor
Unwan Law Firm
Frequently asked questions about Article 613 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
Can I claim against my neighbor for ordinary nuisance?
A neighbor has no recourse against his neighbor for the usual harms of neighborliness that cannot be avoided.
When may a neighbor request removal of harm?
When the harms exceed the usual limit, taking into account custom, the nature of the properties, their location and the purpose for which they are designated.
Does a government license prevent a neighbor from claiming removal of the harm?
No. The article provides that a license issued by the competent authorities does not prevent the neighbor from claiming removal of these harms.
More articles on Ownership, Co-Ownership and Partition
- Article 22
The article defines an immovable as a thing fixed in its place that cannot be moved without damage or change in its form, everything else being movable, and treats a movable that its owner assigns to the service or exploitation of his immovable as an immovable by destination.
1- العقار كلُّ شيءٍ ثابتٍ في حيزه لا يمكن نقله منه دون تلفٍ أو تغيُّرٍ في هيئته، وما عدا ذلك فهو منقول. 2- يعدُّ عقارًا بالتخصيص المنقولُ الذي يضعه مالكه في عقا
- Article 26
The article divides the real right into principal rights, such as ownership, usufruct, use, habitation, easement and waqf, and accessory rights, such as mortgage and privilege, together with what the legal provisions so consider.
1- يكون الحقُّ العينيُّ أصليًّا أو تبعيًّا. 2- الحقوق العينية الأصلية هي حق الملكية، وحق الانتفاع، وحق الاستعمال، وحق السكنى، وحق الارتفاق، وحق الوقف، وما يعد ك
- Article 112
The article provides that termination of a contract cannot be asserted against the contracting party's specific successor if he acquired a real right in good faith.
لا يحتج بفسخ العقد تجاه الخلف الخاص للمتعاقد إذا كسب حقًّا عينيًّا بحسن نية.
- Article 131
A building's keeper is liable to compensate for damage caused by the collapse of all or part of the building, unless he proves that it was not due to neglect of maintenance, age of the building or a defect in it.
يكون حارس البناء مسؤولًا عن تعويض الضرر الذي يحدثه تهدّم البناء كله أو بعضه؛ ما لم يثبت أن الضرر لا يرجع سببه إلى إهمال في الصيانة أو قدم في البناء أو عيب فيه.
- Article 133
Anyone threatened with damage from a particular thing may demand that its keeper take measures to avert the danger; if he does not, the threatened person may carry them out with court permission at the owner's expense, or without it in urgency.
لكل من كان مهدَّدًا بضررٍ من شيءٍ معيَّنٍ أن يطالب حارسه باتخاذ ما يلزم من التدابير لدرء خطره، فإذا لم يقم باتخاذ هذه التدابير في وقت مناسب فلمن يهدده الخطر أن
- Article 371
The article allows a partner to give his share in jointly owned property to his partner or to someone else, whether the property is real estate or movable, even if it is divisible.
تصح هبة الشريك حصته في المال الشائع لشريكه أو لغيره عقارًا كان أو منقولًا، ولو كان الموهوب قابلًا للقسمة.
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.