Article 74 of the Saudi Commercial Courts Law

المادة 74 من نظام المحاكم التجارية · الفصل الأول: أحكام عامة

The article sets who may object to a judgment, the permissibility of agreeing that a first-instance judgment is final, when interim rulings can be objected to, and the effect of an objection on immediate enforcement.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

1- ما لم ينص النظام على غير ذلك، لا يجوز أن يعترض على الحكم إلا المحكوم عليه، أو من لم يُقضَ له بكل طلباته.

2- يجوز الاتفاق -ولو قبل رفع الدعوى- على أن يكون حكم الدائرة الابتدائية نهائيًّا.

3- يكون الاعتراض على الأحكام التي تصدر قبل الفصل في الدعوى ولا تنتهي بها الخصومة كلها أو بعضها مع الاعتراض على الحكم الصادر في الموضوع.

ويجوز الاعتراض على الحكم الصادر في وقف الدعوى، أو الاختصاص، أو سماع الدعوى، أو الدفع بشرط التحكيم، وعلى الأحكام الوقتية والمستعجلة، قبل الحكم في الموضوع.

4- لا يترتب على الاعتراض على الأحكام المشمولة بالتنفيذ المعجل؛ وقف تنفيذها.

5- لا يضار المعترِض باعتراضه.

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 74 explained in plain English

This article sets the general rules on objecting to judgments in five points:

Who may object: unless the Law provides otherwise, only the judgment debtor, or a person who was not awarded all of their requests, may object to a judgment.
Agreeing that the judgment is final: it is permitted to agree, even before the case is filed, that the first-instance circuit's judgment is final.
Rulings issued before the case is decided: rulings issued before the case is decided that do not end the dispute in whole or in part are objected to together with the objection to the judgment on the merits. However, before the judgment on the merits, it is permitted to object to a ruling issued on staying the case, on jurisdiction, on hearing the case, or on the plea of an arbitration clause, and to interim and urgent rulings.
Immediate enforcement: objecting to judgments covered by immediate enforcement does not stop their enforcement.
No harm to the objector: the objector is not harmed by their objection.

This article is connected to Article 73, which refers to the Implementing Regulations the objections that must be filed by a lawyer, and to Article 75, which makes the address recorded in the case particulars the address for notification in an objection by way of appeal.

Because the decision to object and its timing differ from case to case, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in commercial cases before deciding, and also when drafting a contract clause making the first-instance circuit's judgment final.

Practical example

Two companies in Riyadh agreed in a supply contract between them that the first-instance circuit's judgment in any dispute arising from the contract would be final. This agreement is permitted by the text of the article even if concluded before the case is filed. In another case, the circuit issued a ruling on jurisdiction while hearing it, and the party against whom it was issued may object to it before the judgment on the merits.

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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