Article 32 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
المادة 32 من نظام التنفيذ · الفصل السابع: مصروفات التنفيذ
The enforcement debtor bears enforcement expenses unless someone else caused them; the applicant bears them if he ends his request in two specified cases, and enforcement procedures stop if they are not paid.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- دون إخلال بما ورد في الفقرة (2) من هذه المادة، يتحمّل المنفذ ضده مصروفات التنفيذ، ما لم يكن سبب مصروفات التنفيذ عائدًا لغيره؛ فيتحملها المتسبب بقرار تصدره المحكمة، ويكون قابلاً للاعتراض عليه وفقًا للإجراءات المنظمة لذلك.
2- يتحمل طالب التنفيذ مصروفات التنفيذ إذا أنهى طلب التنفيذ وفقًا للفقرتين الفرعيتين (ه) و(و) من الفقرة (1) من المادة (الثالثة والأربعين) من النظام، ما لم يتفق طالب التنفيذ مع المنفذ ضده على خلاف ذلك.
3- دون إخلال بما ورد في الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة، إذا اقتضى الحال تسليم مصروفات التنفيذ؛ فيسلمها المنفذ ضده، فإن امتنع سلّمها طالب التنفيذ أو من له مصلحة في طلب التنفيذ من أطراف التنفيذ، فإن لم تُسلم مصروفات التنفيذ فتُوقف إجراءات التنفيذ المنصوص عليها في النظام.
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 32 explained in plain English
This article determines who bears enforcement expenses, and who pays them when required:
- General rule: The enforcement debtor bears the enforcement expenses. However, if the cause of these expenses lies with someone else, the person who caused them bears them under a decision issued by the court, and this decision may be objected to under the procedures governing that.
- A case in which the enforcement applicant bears them: If the enforcement applicant ends his request under sub-paragraphs (e) and (f) of paragraph (1) of Article 43 of the Law, he bears the expenses, unless he agrees otherwise with the enforcement debtor.
- Paying the expenses when needed: If enforcement expenses have to be paid, the enforcement debtor pays them. If he refuses, the enforcement applicant or any party to the enforcement with an interest in requesting enforcement pays them. If the expenses are not paid, the enforcement procedures provided for in the Law are stopped.
Note that paragraph (3) is stated to be "without prejudice" to paragraph (1); so the enforcement applicant's paying the expenses when the enforcement debtor refuses does not change the original rule on who bears them.
The article does not specify the types or amount of expenses. It follows Article 31, which bars handing the sale price to the enforcement applicant before the procedures for transferring ownership are completed, and precedes Article 33, which governs the bank accounts and trust funds in which enforcement proceeds are deposited.
Practical example
An establishment in Jeddah submitted an enforcement request against a debtor, and one of the enforcement procedures required expenses to be paid. The debtor refused to pay them, so the establishment, as enforcement applicant, paid them so that the procedures would not stop. Under the article the rule remains that the enforcement debtor bears the enforcement expenses, unless their cause lies with someone else.
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 32 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
Who pays enforcement expenses?
The enforcement debtor bears them in principle, unless their cause lies with someone else, in which case the person who caused them bears them under a court decision that may be objected to.
When does the enforcement applicant bear enforcement expenses?
If he ends the enforcement request under sub-paragraphs (e) and (f) of paragraph (1) of Article 43, unless he agrees otherwise with the enforcement debtor.
What happens if enforcement expenses are not paid?
The enforcement debtor pays them; if he refuses, the enforcement applicant or an interested party to the enforcement pays them; if they are not paid, enforcement procedures are stopped.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Enforcement Request and Disclosure of Assets
- Article 11
The article provides that a request to enforce an instrument more than 10 years past its due date is not accepted, without prejudice to the relevant legal provisions.
دون إخلال بما تقضي به الأحكام النظامية ذات الصلة، لا يُقبل طلب التنفيذ بموجب سند تنفيذي مضى على تاريخ استحقاقه أكثر من (عشر) سنوات.
- 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 13
The article governs registering the enforcement request with the competent department, gives the applicant 10 working days to complete any shortfall, and 10 working days to file a grievance if the request is treated as rejected.
1- تقيّد الإدارة المختصة طلب التنفيذ بعد تحققها من استيفائه المتطلبات المنصوص عليها في النظام واللائحة، وذلك وفقًا للإجراءات والنماذج التي تحددها الوزارة. 2- إذ
- 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
- Article 15
The article requires the enforcement debtor to disclose his assets from notification, allows the court to compel his agents, dealers and asset holders to disclose where assets are being hidden, and sets response time limits.
1- على المنفذ ضده أن يفصح عن أمواله من تاريخ إبلاغه بأمر التنفيذ أو من تاريخ الإعلان وفق ما قضت به المادة (الرابعة عشرة) من النظام. 2- على المحكمة -بناءً على طل
- Article 16
The article obliges the authorities supervising or registering assets, or the entities they supervise, to set up a department for enforcement orders, build ownership databases and enable electronic links with the Ministry.
على الجهة المشرفة على الأموال أو تسجيلها أو الكيانات التي تشرف عليها وفق النصوص النظامية ذات العلاقة -بحسب الأحوال- القيام بالآتي: 1- إنشاء أو تحديد إدارة (أو أ
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.