Article 88 of the Saudi Commercial Papers Law

This Article deals with the rule on an incomplete note, meaning one lacking a particular required by Article 87, namely: the order clause or the words "promissory note", an unconditional promise to pay a fixed sum of money, the maturity date, the place of payment, the name of the person to whom or to whose order payment is to be made, the date and place of issue, and the maker's signature.

The rule: a note lacking one of these particulars is not considered a promissory note.

The exceptions: the note remains a promissory note despite the omission in three cases, where the law supplies the missing particular:

• No maturity date: it is considered payable at sight.
• No place of payment or maker's domicile: the place of issue of the note is considered the place of payment and the maker's place.
• No place of issue: it is considered issued in the place stated beside the maker's name.

As for the absence of other particulars, such as the words "promissory note", the promise to pay a fixed sum, the payee's name, the date of issue or the maker's signature, the Article makes no exception, so the note is not considered a promissory note in such cases. The Article does not say whether the paper may still serve to prove the debt by another route; that question lies outside its text.

Once a note is a promissory note, the rules on bills of exchange listed in Article 89 apply to it to the extent they are not inconsistent with its nature, such as the rules on endorsement, aval, payment, protest and the bar on hearing claims. To review a particular note, it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in commercial matters and commercial papers.