Article 6 of the Saudi Electronic Transactions Law
المادة 6 من نظام التعاملات الإلكترونية · الفصل الثاني: الآثار النظامية للتعاملات والسجلات والتوقيعات الإلكترونية
Where a law requires a document or information to be retained, the requirement is met by retaining or sending it as an electronic record under conditions that ensure the integrity of its content, its retrievability, and the identity of the originator and addressee and the timing.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- مع عدم الإخلال بما تنص عليه المادة (الثالثة) من هذا النظام؛ إذا اشترط أي نظام في المملكة حفظ وثيقة أو معلومة لأي سبب فإن هذا الشرط يتحقق عندما تكون تلك الوثيقة أو المعلومة محفوظة أو مرسلة في شكل سجل إلكتروني ، بشرط مراعاة ما يلي:
أ ) حفظ السجل الإلكتروني بالشكل الذي أنشئ أو أرسل أو تسلم به، أو بشكل يمكن من إثبات أن محتواه مطابق للمحتوى الذي أنشئ به أو أرسل به أو تم تسلمه به.
ب ) بقاء السجل الإلكتروني محفوظا على نحو يتيح استخدامه والرجوع إليه لاحقا.
ج ) أن تحفظ مع السجل الإلكتروني المعلومات التي تمكن من معرفة المنشئ والمرسل إليه، وتاريخ إرسالها وتسلمها ووقتهما.
2 - يجوز لأي شخص أن يستوفي - على مسؤوليته - المتطلبات المنصوص عليها في الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة بالاستعانة بخدمات شخص آخر.
3- تحدد اللائحة الإجراءات الخاصة بحفظ السجلات والبيانات الإلكترونية والشروط اللازمة لإبرازها بهيئتها الإلكترونية وشروط الاطلاع عليها وضوابطه.
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 6 explained in plain English
Many laws require documents or information to be retained. This article answers the question: is it enough to retain them electronically? The answer is yes, without prejudice to Article 3 (that is, the exclusion of personal status transactions and the issuance of deeds for real estate dealings, unless the responsible authority allows them to be carried out electronically), and provided three things are met:
- Integrity of form or content: the electronic record is retained in the form in which it was created, sent or received, or in a form that makes it possible to show that its content is identical to that.
- Retrievability: it remains retained in a way that allows it to be used and referred to later.
- Transmission data: the information showing the originator and the addressee, and the date and time of sending and receipt, is retained with it.
Using a third party: any person may meet these requirements by using the services of another person, such as a retention or archiving service provider, but this is at their own responsibility; that is, using a third party does not transfer responsibility for meeting the conditions away from them.
Details in the Regulations: the Implementing Regulations set out the procedures for retaining electronic records and data, the conditions for presenting them in their electronic form, and the conditions and controls for accessing them; the article itself does not state these details.
Article 7 builds on the conditions of paragraph 1 here to establish that electronic form satisfies the writing requirement, and the article also complements Article 5, which establishes the authority of electronic records.
Practical example
A trading establishment in Riyadh decided to get rid of its paper archive and keep its invoices and correspondence electronically through an archiving company. The retention requirement is met if the files remain in their original form or in a form that proves they match it, can be referred to later, and are retained with the sender's and recipient's details and the date and time of sending and receipt. The establishment remains responsible for meeting these conditions.
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 6 of the Saudi Electronic Transactions Law
May documents required by law be retained electronically?
Yes. The retention requirement is met by retaining them as an electronic record, provided it is retained in its form or in a way that proves its content matches, remains retrievable, and is retained with the originator and addressee details and the date and time of sending and receipt.
Can an outside company be used to retain electronic records?
Yes. The retention requirements may be met by using the services of another person, but this is at the responsibility of the person concerned.
Where can I find the detailed procedures for retaining electronic records?
The article refers to the Implementing Regulations to set the retention procedures, the conditions for presenting records in their electronic form, and the conditions for accessing them.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Evidentiary Weight of Electronic Records
- Article 5
The article gives electronic transactions, records and signatures binding authority, so their validity may not be denied or their enforcement prevented merely because they are electronic, provided they meet the Law's conditions.
1- يكون للتعاملات والسجلات والتوقيعات الإلكترونية حجيتها الملزمة، ولا يجوز نفي صحتها أو قابليتها للتنفيذ ولا منع تنفيذها بسبب أنها تمت كليا أو جزئيا بشكل إلكترو
- Article 7
Where a law requires a document or information provided to another person to be in writing, providing it in electronic form satisfies this once the retention conditions in paragraph 1 of Article 6 are met.
مع عدم الإخلال بما تنص عليه المادة (الثالثة) من هذا النظام؛ إذا اشترط أي نظام في المملكة أن تكون الوثيقة أو السجل أو المعلومة المقدمة إلى شخص آخر مكتوبة، فإن تق
- Article 8
An electronic record is an original in itself when technical means and conditions are used that confirm the integrity of its information from its creation in final form and allow it to be displayed on request; the Regulations specify these.
يعد السجل الإلكتروني أصلا بذاته عندما تستخدم وسائل وشروط فنية تؤكد سلامة المعلومات الواردة فيه من الوقت الذي أنشئ فيه بشكله النهائي على أنه سجل إلكتروني ، وتسمح
- Article 9
The article sets out when an electronic transaction or signature is accepted as evidence or as a presumption, presumes its integrity unless the contrary appears, and gives the criteria for assessing its authority.
1- يقبل التعامل الإلكتروني أو التوقيع الإلكتروني دليلا في الإثبات إذا استوفى سجله الإلكتروني متطلبات حكم المادة (الثامنة) من هذا النظام. 2 - يجوز قبول التعامل ا
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.