Article 26 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
المادة 26 من نظام التنفيذ · الفصل الخامس: الحجز التنفيذي
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 كفايتهم، وكذلك ما يلزم المنفذ ضده لمزاولة مهنته أو حرفته بنفسه، ومستلزماته الشخصيّة. ويجوز الحجز والتنفيذ على أي من الأموال المذكورة في هذه الفقرة إذا كان مرهونًا للدائن أو إذا كان هو عين مال طالب التنفيذ.
3- الأجور والرواتب إلا فيما يأتي:
أ- مقدار النصف من إجمالي الأجر أو النصف من إجمالي الراتب؛ لدين النفقة.
ب- مقدار الثلث من إجمالي الأجر أو الثلث من إجمالي الراتب؛ للديون الأخرى.
وعند التزاحم، يخصص نصف إجمالي الأجر أو الراتب لدين النفقة، وثلث النصف الآخر للديون الأخرى، وفي حال تعدد هذه الديون يوزع ثلث النصف بين الدائنين.
4- معاش التقاعد المدني والعسكري إلا فيما يأتي:
أ- مقدار النصف من إجمالي المعاش لدين النفقة.
ب- مقدار الربع من إجمالي المعاش للديون الأخرى.
وعند التزاحم، يخصص نصف إجمالي المعاش لدين النفقة، وربع النصف الآخر للديون الأخرى، وفي حال تعدد هذه الديون يوزع ربع النصف بين الدائنين.
5- الإعانات الحكومية المقدمة للمنفذ ضده.
6- ما يصدر به قرار من مجلس الوزراء.
وتحدد اللائحة الأحكام والإجراءات اللازمة لإنفاذ ما ورد في الفقرات (1) و(2) و(3) (4) و(5) من 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 26 explained in plain English
This article protects the minimum needs of the enforcement debtor and his family by prohibiting attachment and enforcement against certain property:
- Public property.
- The home, means of transport and tools of the trade: the house in which the enforcement debtor lives with those he supports, and his means of transport or theirs, if they do not exceed what is sufficient for them, and what he needs to practice his profession or craft himself, and his personal necessities. However, they may be attached if they are mortgaged to the creditor or are the very property of the enforcement applicant.
- Wages and salaries, except within these limits:
- One half of the gross wage or salary for a maintenance debt.
- One third of the gross wage or salary for other debts.
- In case of competing claims: one half is allocated to the maintenance debt, and one third of the other half to the other debts, and that one third of the half is divided among the creditors if there are several.
- Civil and military retirement pensions, except within these limits:
- One half of the gross pension for a maintenance debt.
- One quarter of the gross pension for other debts.
- In case of competing claims: one half for the maintenance debt, and one quarter of the other half for the other debts, divided among the creditors if there are several.
- Government aid provided to the enforcement debtor.
- What a decision of the Council of Ministers specifies.
Note that the shares are calculated on the gross amount, and that a maintenance debt has priority and a higher share. The Implementing Regulations set the rules and procedures needed to apply items 1 to 5.
This article follows Article 25, which limits attachment to the amount of the debt, and is followed by Article 27, which requires the body supervising property to carry out attachment immediately.
Practical example
Mohammed works as an employee at a company in Riyadh, and an enforcement order has been issued against him for a maintenance debt and another for a commercial debt. Under this article, half of his gross salary is allocated to the maintenance debt and then one third of the other half to the commercial debt, and no more of his salary may be attached. If he owed only a commercial debt, one third of his gross salary could be attached.
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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Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 26 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
What percentage of a salary can be attached?
One half of the gross wage or salary for a maintenance debt and one third for other debts. In case of competing claims, one half is allocated to maintenance and one third of the other half to the other debts.
Can the home a debtor lives in be attached?
No, if it does not exceed what is sufficient for him and those he supports, unless it is mortgaged to the creditor or is the very property of the enforcement applicant.
Can a retirement pension be attached?
Only within these limits: one half for a maintenance debt and one quarter for other debts; in case of competing claims, one half for maintenance and one quarter of the other half for the other debts.
Can government aid be attached?
No. Government aid provided to the enforcement debtor is among the property that may not be attached or enforced against.
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 23
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.
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
- 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
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.