Article 31 of the Saudi Electronic Transactions Law
المادة 31 من نظام التعاملات الإلكترونية · الفصل العاشر: أحكام ختامية
The Electronic Transactions Law takes effect 120 days after the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعمل بهذا النظام بعد (مائة وعشرين) يوما من تاريخ نشره في الجريدة الرسمية.
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 31 explained in plain English
This article sets the date the Electronic Transactions Law starts to apply, that is, when its provisions become effective and must be applied.
The rule: the Law takes effect 120 days after the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
What does this mean?
- The period is counted from the date of publication in the Official Gazette, not from the date the Law was issued.
- The provisions of the Law do not become effective until this full period has passed.
The difference from Article 30: Article 30 requires the Minister to issue the Implementing Regulations on the Authority's proposal within 120 days of the date the Law was issued, whereas this article ties the start of the Law's application to the passing of 120 days from the date of its publication. The two periods are equal in number of days but are counted from two different dates.
The text of the article does not give the publication date itself or the date on which the Law actually took effect, so anyone who needs to know this in order to work out the Law's effect on a particular transaction should refer to the issue of the Official Gazette in which the Law was published.
This article is procedural and does not itself create rights or obligations.
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 31 of the Saudi Electronic Transactions Law
When does the Electronic Transactions Law take effect?
120 days after the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
Is the effective period counted from the date of issuance or of publication?
It is counted from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
What is the difference between this period and the period for issuing the Regulations?
The period for issuing the Regulations in Article 30 is 120 days from the date the Law was issued, whereas the Law takes effect 120 days after the date of its publication.
More articles on Scope of the Electronic Transactions Law
- Article 1
The article defines the key terms used in the Electronic Transactions Law, such as electronic record, electronic signature, digital certification certificate and certification services provider.
يقصد بالألفاظ والعبارات الآتية -أينما وردت في هذا النظام- المعاني المبينة أمام كل منها، ما لم يقتض السياق خلاف ذلك: 1 - الوزارة : وزارة الاتصالات وتقنية المعلوم
- Article 2
The article sets out the objectives of the Electronic Transactions Law: unifying its rules, building confidence in it, facilitating its use, removing obstacles to it, and preventing its misuse and fraud.
يهدف هذا النظام إلى ضبط التعاملات والتوقيعات الإلكترونية ، وتنظيمها، وتوفير إطار نظامي لها بما يؤدي إلى تحقيق ما يلي: 1 - إرساء قواعد نظامية موحدة لاستخدام التع
- Article 3
The article defines the Law's scope: it applies to electronic transactions and signatures and excludes personal status transactions and the issuance of deeds for real estate dealings, unless the responsible authority allows them to be carried out electronically.
يسري هذا النظام على التعاملات والتوقيعات الإلكترونية ، ويستثنى من أحكامه ما يلي: 1 - التعاملات المتعلقة بالأحوال الشخصية. 2 - إصدار الصكوك المتعلقة بالتصرفات ال
- Article 4
The Law does not oblige anyone to deal electronically without their express or implied consent, but a government body's consent must be express, and additional conditions may be set that do not conflict with the Law.
1- لا يلزم هذا النظام أي شخص بالتعامل الإلكتروني دون موافقته، ويمكن أن تكون هذه الموافقة صريحة أو ضمنية. 2- استثناء من الحكم الوارد من الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة،
- Article 28
Applying the Electronic Transactions Law does not prejudice the provisions of related laws, especially intellectual property rights and the relevant international agreements to which the Kingdom is a party.
لا يخل تطبيق هذا النظام بالأحكام الواردة في الأنظمة ذات العلاقة، وخاصة ما يتعلق بحقوق الملكية الفكرية والاتفاقيات الدولية ذات الصلة التي تكون المملكة طرفا فيها.
- Article 30
The Minister of Communications and Information Technology issues the Law's Implementing Regulations on the Authority's proposal within 120 days of the date the Law was issued.
يصدر الوزير اللائحة لهذا النظام، بناء على اقتراح من الهيئة وذلك خلال (مائة وعشرين) يوما من تاريخ صدور النظام.
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.