Article 29 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
المادة 29 من نظام التنفيذ · الفصل السادس: بيع المال المحجوز
The article allows the court to let the enforcement debtor sell his property voluntarily in a way that serves the interest of enforcement, and leaves the related rules to the Implementing Regulations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للمحكمة تمكين المنفذ ضده من بيع أمواله طوعًا بما يحقق مصلحة التنفيذ. وتحدد اللائحة الأحكام المتعلقة بما 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 29 explained in plain English
This article provides an alternative to compulsory sale, namely voluntary sale carried out by the enforcement debtor himself.
What the article provides:
- The court's power: The court may enable the enforcement debtor to sell his property voluntarily. This is discretionary and rests with the court; it is not an absolute right of the enforcement debtor.
- The criterion: It must be in a way that serves the interest of enforcement, that is, in a way that helps satisfy the right.
- Details: The Implementing Regulations set the rules on voluntary sale; the article does not state its conditions, duration or how it is supervised.
Relationship to Article 30: Article 30 provides that attached property is sold by public auction, but excepts what is stated in this article and what the Implementing Regulations specify. Voluntary sale is therefore an exception to the rule of sale by auction.
The practical benefit is that an enforcement debtor may prefer to sell his property himself rather than have it sold at auction, and he may ask the court for this; the court decides what serves the interest of enforcement. To judge whether this route suits a particular case, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in enforcement cases.
This article follows Article 28 on referring incidents of concealing or smuggling property to the investigating authority.
Practical example
A property owned by Ibrahim in Riyadh was attached in order to sell it to pay a debt established by an enforceable instrument. Ibrahim asked the court to let him sell the property himself to a buyer he found. The court may let him sell voluntarily if it considers that this serves the interest of enforcement, under the rules set by the Implementing Regulations.
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 29 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
Can the debtor sell his property himself instead of an auction?
The court may enable the enforcement debtor to sell his property voluntarily in a way that serves the interest of enforcement, and the Implementing Regulations set the related rules.
Is voluntary sale the debtor's right?
The article gives this power to the court, meaning it is within its discretion in light of the interest of enforcement.
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.