Article 23 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
المادة 23 من نظام التنفيذ · الفصل الخامس: الحجز التنفيذي
The article provides that all the enforcement debtor's assets stand as security for his debts from the date of notice or notification of the enforcement order or announcement, and allows enforcement attachment on an asset under precautionary attachment.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- جميع أموال المنفذ ضده ضامنة لديونه من تاريخ إخطاره بطلب أداء الحق وفق ما قضت به المادة (الثانية عشرة) من النظام، أو من تاريخ إبلاغه بأمر التنفيذ أو من تاريخ الإعلان وفق ما قضت به المادة (الرابعة عشرة) من النظام.
2- يقع الحجز والتنفيذ على مال المنفذ ضده المحجوز حجزًا تحفظيًّا من جهة مختصة، وعلى الجهة المحجوز لديها مال المنفذ ضده حجزًا تحفظيًّا إشعار الحاجز حجزًا تحفظيًّا بإيقاع الحجز التنفيذي. وتحدد اللائحة الإجراءات اللازمة لإنفاذ ما ورد في هذه الفقرة.
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 23 explained in plain English
This article opens the provisions on enforcement attachment with two basic rules:
1- The enforcement debtor's assets stand as security for his debts: all the enforcement debtor's assets stand as security for his debts starting from one of the following dates:
- The date he is notified of the demand to pay the right under Article 12.
- Or the date he is notified of the enforcement order.
- Or the date the enforcement order is announced where notification is impossible, under Article 14.
This means the enforcement debtor's assets become, from that date, the subject from which the debt is satisfied, which prepares the ground for Article 24, which allows the enforcement applicant to ask for some of his dispositions of his assets to be annulled from the same dates.
2- An asset under precautionary attachment:
- Attachment and enforcement fall on the enforcement debtor's asset even if it is under precautionary attachment by a competent body; precautionary attachment does not prevent enforcement attachment.
- The body holding the asset under precautionary attachment must notify the party that made the precautionary attachment that enforcement attachment has been imposed.
- The Implementing Regulations specify the procedures needed to apply this paragraph.
This article comes after Article 22, which refers the controls for tracing assets to the Implementing Regulations.
Practical example
A company in Dammam has a warehouse under precautionary attachment in favor of a creditor in a lawsuit, and then an enforcement order was issued against it in favor of another creditor holding a final judgment. Under this article, enforcement attachment may be imposed on the warehouse, and the body holding the asset must notify the party that made the precautionary attachment that enforcement attachment has been imposed.
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 23 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
From when are a debtor's assets security for his debts?
From the date he is notified of the demand to pay the right under Article 12, or from the date he is notified of the enforcement order, or from the date of the announcement under Article 14.
Can enforcement attachment be imposed on an asset under precautionary attachment?
Yes. Attachment and enforcement fall on the enforcement debtor's asset under precautionary attachment by a competent body, with notice to the party that made the precautionary attachment of the imposition of enforcement attachment.
Articles this article refers to
- Article 12
The article refers to the Implementing Regulations the cases in which the creditor must notify the debtor to pay the right in the enforcement instrument before the enforcement request is registered.
تحدد اللائحة الحالات التي يجب فيها أن يخطر الدائن المدين بأداء الحق محل السند التنفيذي قبل قيد طلب التنفيذ.
- Article 14
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.
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 الو
More articles on Seizing Assets and Auctions
- Article 5
The article requires the holder of an asset of the enforcement debtor, where several bodies issued attachment orders on it, to notify the body that issued the later order of the first attachment.
إذا تعددت الجهات التي أصدرت أمر الحجز على مال من أموال المنفذ ضده، فعلى المحجوز لديه المال إشعار الجهة التي أصدرت أمر الحجز اللاحق بالحجز الأول. وتحدد اللائحة ا
- Article 6
The article provides that where enforcement attachments from two judicial bodies, or from a judicial and an administrative body, meet on the enforcement debtor's assets, all his assets are treated as attached for all requests, supervised by the judicial body that attached first.
1- استثناءً من أحكام الاختصاص المنصوص عليها في النظام ونظام التنفيذ أمام ديوان المظالم والأنظمة الأخرى ذات الصلة، إذا اجتمع حجز تنفيذي من جهتين قضائيتين أو من ج
- Article 18
The article provides that compulsory enforcement begins when 5 working days pass from notification without compliance, unless the debtor provides a bank guarantee, and permits a daily fine of up to SAR 5,000.
1- إذا مضت (خمسة) أيام عمل من تاريخ إبلاغ المنفذ ضده بأمر التنفيذ أو من تاريخ الإعلان وفق ما قضت به المادة (الرابعة عشرة) من النظام، ولم ينفذ المنفذ ضده التزامه
- Article 24
The article lets the enforcement applicant sue to annul the debtor's gifts, early repayments and unusual contracts made before attachment, and declares any disposal after an attachment order void.
1- يجوز لطالب التنفيذ أن يتقدم إلى المحكمة بدعوى إبطال تصرف المنفذ ضده، إذا ثبت أنه تصرف بأي مالٍ من أمواله من تاريخ إخطاره بطلب أداء الحق وفق ما قضت به المادة
- Article 25
The article limits attachment of the enforcement debtor's property to the amount of the debt unless the property is indivisible, and lets him designate property to be enforced against first.
1- لا يجوز حجز أموال المنفذ ضده إلا بمقدار الدين المطالب به، ما لم يكن المال المحجوز عليه غير قابل للتجزئة. 2- تحدد المحكمة أموال المنفذ ضده محل التنفيذ بما يحق
- Article 26
The article lists property that may not be attached or enforced against, such as public property, the home and government aid, and sets the shares of wages, salaries and pensions that may be attached.
لا يجوز الحجز والتنفيذ على ما يأتي: 1- الأموال العامة. 2- الدار التي يسكنها المنفذ ضده أو من يعولهم أو وسيلة نقل المنفذ ضده أو من يعولهم، إذا لم تتجاوز مقدار كف
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.