Article 7 of the Saudi Electronic Transactions Law
المادة 7 من نظام التعاملات الإلكترونية · الفصل الثاني: الآثار النظامية للتعاملات والسجلات والتوقيعات الإلكترونية
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 تقديمها في شكل إلكتروني يفي بهذا الغرض متى تحققت الأحكام الواردة في الفقرة (1) من المادة (السادسة).
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 7 explained in plain English
This article deals with the writing requirement: if any law in the Kingdom requires a document, record or information provided to another person to be in writing, providing it in electronic form satisfies that requirement.
But this is subject to two limits:
- Without prejudice to Article 3: the provision does not extend to personal status transactions or the issuance of deeds for real estate dealings, unless the responsible authority allows them to be carried out electronically under controls it sets in agreement with the Ministry.
- The conditions of paragraph 1 of Article 6 are met: namely, that the electronic record is retained in the form in which it was created, sent or received, or in a form that proves its content matches, remains retained in a way that allows it to be used and referred to later, and is retained with the information showing the originator and addressee and the date and time of sending and receipt.
In practical terms, the phrase "must be in writing" in another law does not necessarily mean paper; an electronic document is enough once it meets these conditions. Whether an electronic record counts as an "original" is dealt with by Article 8.
To assess whether a particular document meets these conditions in a specific case, a lawyer specializing in electronic transactions and commercial disputes can be consulted.
Practical example
A landlord and a tenant of a shop in Makkah agreed that a notice of non-renewal must be in writing. The tenant sent the notice by email and kept a copy with the sender and recipient details and the date and time of sending. Under this article, electronic form can satisfy the writing requirement once the retention conditions in Article 6 are met.
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 7 of the Saudi Electronic Transactions Law
Is an electronic document considered written if the law requires writing?
Yes. Providing it in electronic form satisfies the writing requirement once the retention conditions in paragraph 1 of Article 6 are met, and without prejudice to Article 3.
What conditions must an electronic document meet to stand in for a written one?
It must be retained in its form or in a way that proves its content matches, remain retrievable later, and be retained with the originator and addressee details and the date and time of sending and receipt.
Does this apply to personal status matters?
Not as a general rule, because the article does not prejudice Article 3, which excludes personal status transactions unless the responsible authority allows them to be carried out electronically.
Articles this article refers to
- 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 6
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.
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 الوثي
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 6
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.
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 الوثي
- 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.