Article 8 of the Saudi Commercial Books Law

This article sets the period of retention required for commercial books and documents, and widens the circle of those bound by it.

What must be kept?

• The books provided for in the Law.
• The correspondence and documents referred to in Article 6, which are exact copies of all correspondence and documents relating to the trade, sent by the merchant and received by them.

For how long? At least 10 years. The words "at least" mean that this is the minimum, so they may not be disposed of before it has passed.

Who is bound? The merchant themselves, and also their heirs. The death of the merchant does not remove the obligation to keep; it passes to their heirs. This is important for merchants' families, since heirs may think that the books of the person they inherit from are no longer needed after death.

The article does not say from what date the 10 years start to run, so it is prudent not to destroy any book or document before making sure the period has passed, and to consult a specialist when in doubt.

The importance of keeping appears in Article 9, which presumes that the entries in the books were made with the merchant's knowledge and consent unless the contrary is proved, and in Article 10, which allows the judicial body to order the books to be produced.

For special cases, such as an estate that includes a commercial business, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in commercial and company cases.