Article 20 of the Saudi Eminent Domain Implementing Regulations
المادة 20 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام نزع ملكية العقارات للمنفعة العامة ووضع اليد المؤقت على العقار
The article provides that not knowing the property owner does not prevent starting the project, while requiring the body to keep a separate dated record for each case for any future claim.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يمنع عدم معرفة مالك العقار محل النزع من البدء في تنفيذ المشروع، على أن تلتزم الجهة صاحبة المشروع بتدوين سجل مستقل مؤرخ لكل حالة على حدة، يُبَين فيه ما يأتي :
1 - اسم المشروع، وصورة من قرار الموافقة على البدء في إجراءات نزع الملكية.
2 - موقع العقار محل النزع، وإحداثياته.
3 - محضر لجنة الحصر.
4 - المساحة المقتطعة من العقار لمصلحة تنفيذ المشروع، والتصوير الفوتوغرافي للموقع محل النزع.
5 - محضر لجنة التقدير.
ويحفظ هذا السجل لدى الجهة صاحبة المشروع، للاستفادة منه في أي مطالبة في المستقبل.
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 20 explained in plain English
This article deals with a practical situation: a property lies in the path of the project and its owner is not known.
The rule: not knowing the owner does not prevent starting to carry out the project.
The safeguard: the project owner must keep a separate dated record for each case, containing:
- The project name, and a copy of the decision approving the start of expropriation procedures.
- The location of the property and its coordinates.
- The inventory committee's report.
- The area taken for the project and photographs of the site.
- The assessment committee's report.
Keeping the record: it is kept with the project owner for use in any future claim.
In practical terms, an owner who appears later, or his heirs, will find with the body a record documenting the state of the property, its area and its valuation at the time of the expropriation, which helps in making a claim. The article thus balances not holding up the project with preserving the right of the unknown owner. The article does not set a period for such a claim or its procedures.
Anyone who discovers that a property of theirs or of the person they inherit from was expropriated without their knowledge can consult a lawyer specializing in real estate or administrative cases.
Practical example
A citizen returned from abroad to find that land he inherited in Jazan had been included in a road project and its owner was not known at the time of execution. He can refer to the record kept with the project owner, which contains the inventory and assessment reports, the area taken and the photographs.
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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Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Qarawi Law and Notary Office, Riyadh
Frequently asked questions about Article 20 of the Saudi Eminent Domain Implementing Regulations
Can the project proceed on a property whose owner is not known?
Yes. Not knowing the owner does not prevent starting to carry out the project, provided a separate dated record of the case is kept.
What does the record of an unknown-owner property contain?
The project name and start decision, the property's location and coordinates, the inventory report, the area taken and photographs, and the assessment committee's report.
Why is this record kept?
For use in any future claim.
More articles on In-Kind Compensation and Concluding Procedures
- Article 19
The article allows the project owner to offer the owner in-kind compensation from State-owned properties instead of cash, subject to controls including his consent, simultaneous valuation within 90 days, and a difference not exceeding 30%.
يجوز للجهة صاحبة المشروع أن تعرض على مالك العقار المنزوعة ملكيته للمنفعة العامة تعويضاً عينيًّا من العقارات المملوكة للدولة بعد استكمال الإجراءات اللازمة في هذا
- Article 21
The article specifies the documents the file for concluding compensation procedures must contain, from the start decision and ownership documents to the detailed plan and the inventory and assessment reports.
يجب أن تشتمل مستندات إنهاء إجراءات التعويض على نسخة من قرار الموافقة على البدء في إجراءات نزع الملكية ونسخة من مستندات الملكية، والمخطط التفصيلي للعقار المتضمن
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.