Article 72 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 72 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الأول: أركان العقد أولًا: الرضى
The article requires the subject matter of an obligation to be possible, not contrary to public order, and specified or capable of being specified, otherwise the contract is void.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يجب أن تتوفر في محل الالتزام الشروط الآتية:
أ- أن يكون ممكنًا في ذاته.
ب- ألا يكون مخالفًا للنظام العام.
ج- أن يكون معيَّنًا بذاته أو بنوعه ومقداره أو قابلًا للتعيين.
2- يقع العقد باطلًا إذا لم تتوفر في المحل الشروط الواردة في الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة.
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 72 explained in plain English
This article sets out the basic conditions that must be met in the subject matter of an obligation, that is, in what the debtor is bound to do, and states the consequence of their absence.
The three conditions:
- That it be possible in itself: an obligation to do something impossible in itself is not valid.
- That it not be contrary to public order: an agreement on something contrary to public order is not valid.
- That it be specified in itself, or by type and quantity, or capable of being specified: the subject matter must be known precisely, or the contract must contain what allows it to be determined later.
Consequence: paragraph 2 provides that the contract is void if the subject matter does not meet these conditions. Nullity here is more severe than a mere right to seek annulment, and the following articles set out its rules.
This article is linked to the rules on the subject matter before and after it: Article 71 allows the subject matter to be a future thing specified by its type and quantity, and Article 73 deals with the case where the quantity of the subject matter is not specified, if the contract contains what allows the court to determine it, and the case where the grade of quality is not agreed. Article 74 also refers to paragraph 1 of this article to state the conditions for the validity of terms that a contract contains.
Because failure to meet any of the conditions leads to nullity, it is recommended to take care to specify the subject matter of a contract clearly when drafting it, and to consult a lawyer who specializes in civil cases and contracts when in doubt about the validity of the subject matter.
Practical example
Two persons in Jeddah agreed that one would sell the other "goods" without specifying their type or quantity, and without the contract containing any means of determining them. This subject matter is neither specified nor capable of being specified, so the contract is void under paragraph 2 of 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 72 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
What are the conditions for the subject matter of a contract under the Civil Transactions Law?
That it be possible in itself, not contrary to public order, and specified in itself or by type and quantity, or capable of being specified.
What is the rule if the subject matter of a contract is contrary to public order?
The contract is void if the subject matter does not meet the conditions in paragraph 1 of the article, including not being contrary to public order.
Must the subject matter of a contract be specified precisely at the time of contracting?
It is enough that the subject matter be capable of being specified if it is not specified in itself or by type and quantity.
More articles on Elements of the Contract
- Article 11
The article allows a chosen domicile to be adopted for a particular act, serving as the domicile for everything relating to it unless expressly limited, and requires writing to prove it.
1- يجوز اتخاذ موطنٍ مختارٍ لعملٍ معيَّن، ويكون هو الموطن لكل ما يتعلق بهذا العمل؛ ما لم يُشترط صراحةً قصر هذا الموطن على أعمالٍ دون أخرى. 2- لا يجوز إثبات وجود
- Article 30
The article provides that the rules of the contract chapter apply to named and unnamed contracts, without prejudice to the legal provisions that regulate contracts of a special nature.
تطبق الأحكام الواردة في هذا الفصل على العقود المسماة وغير المسماة، وذلك دون إخلال بالأحكام الواردة في النصوص النظامية التي تنظم عقودًا ذات طبيعة خاصة.
- Article 31
A contract arises when one party's offer is joined to the other's acceptance to produce a legal effect, subject to the particular forms the legal provisions set for the formation of certain contracts.
ينشأ العقد بارتباط الإيجاب بالقبول لإحداث أثر نظامي، مع مراعاة ما تقرره النصوص النظامية من أوضاعٍ معيّنةٍ لانعقاد العقد.
- Article 32
Consent in a contract is achieved when the wills of two or more contracting parties who have capacity to contract coincide and the will is expressed by what indicates it.
يتحقق الرضى إذا توافقت إرادتا متعاقدين (أو أكثر) لديهما أهلية التعاقد وعُبِّر عن الإرادة بما يدل عليها.
- Article 33
Offer and acceptance may be by anything that indicates the will: words, writing, an understood gesture or mutual exchange, explicit or implicit, unless the legal provisions, the agreement or the nature of the transaction require otherwise.
1- يكون الإيجاب والقبول بكل ما يدل على الإرادة. 2- يجوز أن يكون التعبير عن الإرادة باللفظ أو بالكتابة أو بالإشارة المفهومة أو بالمعاطاة، وأن يكون صريحًا أو ضمني
- Article 34
Displaying goods and services with their price stated is an offer, and an advertisement with the prevailing prices is not an offer, unless there are indications to the contrary in either case.
1- يعد عرض البضائع والخدمات مع بيان ثمنها إيجابًا، إلا إذا قامت دلائل تفيد خلاف ذلك. 2- لا يعدُّ الإعلان مع بيان الأسعار المتعامل بها إيجابًا، إلا إذا قامت دلائ
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.