Article 14 of the Saudi Enforcement Law

المادة 14 من نظام التنفيذ · الفصل الأول: قيد طلب التنفيذ والأمر به

The article provides that the court orders the enforcement debtor to comply once the instrument meets its conditions, notifies him at once, and where notification is impossible announces the order, with effects running from the announcement.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

إذا كان السند مستوفيًا شروطه النظامية، أمرت المحكمة المنفذ ضده بتنفيذه، ويبلغ المنفذ ضده بأمر التنفيذ فور صدوره، فإذا تعذر التبليغ فيُعلن عن أمر التنفيذ عبر الوسيلة المناسبة لذلك، وتسري آثار التبليغ من تاريخ الإعلان. وتحدد اللائحة الأحكام اللازمة لما ورد في هذه المادة.

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 14 explained in plain English

This article governs the enforcement order and its notification, which is a pivotal step because many time limits and effects in the law start from the date of this notification.

What the article provides:

Issuing the order: if the instrument meets its legal conditions, the court orders the enforcement debtor to comply with it.
Notification: the enforcement debtor is notified of the enforcement order as soon as it is issued.
Where notification is impossible: if notification is impossible, the enforcement order is announced by the appropriate means, and the effects of notification run from the date of the announcement. The enforcement debtor therefore cannot hold up enforcement merely by being unreachable.
The details: the Implementing Regulations specify the provisions needed to apply the article.

Why does the date of notification matter? The law ties effects to the date of notification of the enforcement order, or the date of the announcement under this article, including what Article 15 provides, that the enforcement debtor must disclose his assets from the date he is notified of the enforcement order or from the date of the announcement. Anyone notified of an enforcement order is therefore well advised to find out promptly what follows from it, and to consult a lawyer specializing in enforcement cases if needed.

This article comes after Article 13, which governs registering the enforcement request with the competent department: after registration and verification of the instrument, the enforcement order is issued and notified.

Practical example

An enforcement order was issued against Majed under a final judgment, but he could not be notified of it. Under this article the enforcement order is announced by the appropriate means, and the effects of notification run from the date of the announcement, so the time limits the law ties to notification start from that date even if Majed did not actually know.

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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