Article 22 of the Saudi E-Commerce Law
المادة 22 من نظام التجارة الإلكترونية
The article provides that the competent court decides disputes arising from applying the E-Commerce Law, including claims for compensation.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تتولى المحكمة المختصة الفصل في المنازعات، بما في ذلك دعاوى المطالبة بالتعويض الناشئة عن تطبيق أحكام النظام
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 22 explained in plain English
This article answers the question: where does someone with a dispute arising from applying the law turn?
The article provides that the competent court decides:
- Disputes arising from applying the provisions of the law, and
- claims for compensation arising from it.
The article does not name a particular court, but says "the competent court", meaning the court that the judicial organization makes competent for the type of dispute. Which court applies in each case therefore depends on the jurisdiction rules in the judicial laws, not on this law.
The importance of this article is that the law does not rely only on penalties imposed by the administrative authority, but preserves the right of anyone harmed to claim compensation before the courts. For example, a consumer harmed by a service provider's breach of its obligations under the law can claim compensation before the competent court. The article does not state the conditions for compensation or its amount.
This differs from objecting to decisions issued under the law, including penalty decisions; those are subject to Article 20, which allows objection before the administrative court. It is also linked to Article 21, which deals with publishing the operative part of a penalty decision after it becomes final or the judgment issued on it acquires finality.
Identifying the competent court and preparing the claim is a technical matter, so anyone with a dispute should consider consulting a lawyer who specializes in commercial cases or compensation cases.
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 22 of E-Commerce 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 22 of the Saudi E-Commerce Law
Where do I file a claim against an online store?
The competent court decides disputes arising from applying the provisions of the law; the article does not name a particular court.
Can I claim compensation from an online store?
The article provides that the competent court decides claims for compensation arising from applying the provisions of the law.
Is a compensation claim the same as objecting to a penalty?
No. Under this article the competent court hears compensation claims and disputes, whereas objections to decisions issued under the law go to the administrative court under Article 20.
More articles on E-Commerce Violations
- Article 12
The Article allows the Ministry to require a service provider who violated the electronic advertisement provisions to remove the violation or withdraw the advertisement within one day of being notified, without prejudice to penalties.
مع عدم الإخلال بإيقاع العقوبات الواردة في المادة (الثامنة عشرة) من النظام، إذا ثبت أن موفر الخدمة خالف أيًّا من أحكام الفقرة (2) من المادة (العاشرة) أو المادة (
- Article 17
The article allows the Minister or a delegate to block a violating online store, partly or fully, in urgent cases, with the violation referred to the committee within 3 days and decided within 10 days.
إذا خالف موفر الخدمة أيًّا من أحكام النظام أو اللائحة، فللوزير -أو من ينيبه- أن يتخذ في الحالات العاجلة والضرورية قراراً بحجب المحل الإلكتروني -بالتنسيق مع الجه
- Article 18
The article sets the penalties for violating the E-Commerce Law or its regulations: a warning, a fine up to SAR 1,000,000, suspension of activity, and blocking of the online store, without prejudice to a harsher penalty.
مع عدم الاخلال بأي عقوبة أشد ينص عليها نظام آخر، يعاقب كل من يخالف أيًّا من أحكام النظام أو اللائحة بواحدة أو أكثر من العقوبات الآتية: أ- الإنذار. ب- غرامة لا ت
- Article 19
The article provides for one or more committees formed by the Minister to consider violations and impose penalties, and covers their composition, how they decide and the criteria for choosing a penalty.
1- تكوّن بقرار من الوزير لجنة (أو أكثر) تتولى النظر في مخالفات أحكام النظام أو اللائحة وتوقيع العقوبات المنصوص عليها في المادة (الثامنة عشرة) من النظام، على ألا
- Article 20
The article allows anyone against whom a decision was issued under the E-Commerce Law to object to it before the administrative court under the Law of Procedure before the Board of Grievances.
يجوز لمن صدر ضده أي قرار بناءً على النظام الاعتراض عليه أمام المحكمة الإدارية وفقاً لأحكام نظام المرافعات أمام ديوان المظالم.
- Article 21
The article allows a penalty decision to include publishing its operative part at the violator's expense in a local newspaper or other suitable means, after the decision becomes final or the judgment acquires finality.
يجوز تضمين القرار الصادر بتحديد العقوبة النص على نشر منطوقه على نفقة المخالف في صحيفة (أو أكثر) من الصحف المحلية التي تصدر في محل إقامته، أو في أي وسيلة أخرى من
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.