Article 36 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
المادة 36 من نظام التنفيذ · الفصل التاسع: التنفيذ المباشر
If an obligation to do or refrain from doing something is not performed within 5 working days, the court takes compulsory steps including the competent force, contacting the competent authority, a travel ban and a daily fine.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا كان محل التنفيذ فعلاً أو امتناعًا عن فعل، ولم يُنفذ المنفذ ضده التزامه خلال (خمسة) أيام عمل من تاريخ إبلاغه بأمر التنفيذ أو من تاريخ الإعلان وفق ما قضت به المادة (الرابعة عشرة) من النظام؛ فتتخذ إجراءات التنفيذ الجبري الآتية:
1- تأمر المحكمة فورًا باستعمال القوة المختصة للقيام بما يلزم من إجراءات التنفيذ، وذلك ما لم يتطلب التنفيذ أن يقوم به المنفذ ضده بنفسه.
2- تخاطب المحكمة فورًا الجهة المختصة -عند الاقتضاء- لتنفيذ الحق محل السند التنفيذي.
3- إذا تعذر التنفيذ باستعمال القوة المختصة، أو عن طريق الجهة المختصة، أو اقتضى التنفيذ قيام المنفذ ضده به بنفسه ولم يقم بذلك؛ فتتخذ إجراءات التنفيذ الجبري الآتية:
أ- تأمر المحكمة بمنع المنفذ ضده من السفر إلى خارج المملكة -بناءً على طلب يقدم من طالب التنفيذ- وفقًا لأحكام المادة (التاسعة عشرة) من النظام.
ب- تفرض المحكمة غرامة لا تزيد على (عشرة آلاف) ريال يوميًّا على المنفذ ضده عن كل يوم يمضي دون إتمام التنفيذ، على ألا تتجاوز حدًّا تحدد اللائحة مقداره. وللمحكمة إلغاء الغرامة أو جزء منها إذا نفذ المنفذ ضده ما عليه من التزام. وتؤول حصيلة الغرامة الإجمالية إلى خزينة الدولة.
وتحدد اللائحة الضوابط والإجراءات اللازمة لما ورد في هذه المادة، بما في ذلك ضوابط وإجراءات إخلاء العقار والتصرف بالمنقولات الموجودة فيه إذا لم يتسلمها مالكها.
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 36 explained in plain English
This article governs direct enforcement, that is, enforcing an instrument whose subject is doing something or refraining from doing something.
If the enforcement debtor does not perform his obligation within 5 working days from the date he is informed of the enforcement order, or from the date of the announcement under Article 14 of the Law, the following compulsory enforcement procedures are taken:
- The court immediately orders the use of the competent force to carry out the necessary enforcement procedures, unless enforcement requires the enforcement debtor to carry it out himself.
- The court immediately contacts the competent authority, where appropriate, to enforce the right that is the subject of the enforceable instrument.
- If enforcement is not possible through the competent force or through the competent authority, or enforcement requires the enforcement debtor to carry it out himself and he does not:
- The court orders him banned from traveling outside the Kingdom, at the request of the enforcement applicant, under Article 19 of the Law.
- The court imposes on him a fine of not more than SAR 10,000 per day for each day that passes without enforcement being completed, not exceeding a limit whose amount the Implementing Regulations set. The court may cancel the fine or part of it if he performs what is required of him, and its proceeds go to the State treasury.
The Implementing Regulations set the rules and procedures needed for this article, including rules on vacating real estate and dealing with movables in it if their owner does not take them.
It is followed by Article 37, which provides that if 30 working days pass after any of these procedures are taken and the enforcement debtor has not performed his obligation, the court orders, at the request of the enforcement applicant, his imprisonment to compel him to comply.
Practical example
A judgment obliged a person to vacate a commercial premises in Riyadh and hand it over to its owner. He was informed of the enforcement order and did not vacate within 5 working days. The court immediately orders the use of the competent force to vacate the premises. If the obligation were an act that the enforcement debtor must perform himself and he did not, the court may ban him from traveling outside the Kingdom at the request of the enforcement applicant, and impose on him a fine of not more than SAR 10,000 for each day that passes without enforcement being completed.
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 36 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
What is the deadline to perform an instrument requiring an act or abstention?
5 working days from the date the enforcement debtor is informed of the enforcement order or from the date of the announcement under Article 14, after which compulsory enforcement procedures are taken.
How much is the daily fine on someone who does not comply with direct enforcement?
Not more than SAR 10,000 for each day that passes without enforcement being completed, not exceeding a limit whose amount the Implementing Regulations set; its proceeds go to the State treasury.
Is the fine cancelled if the debtor performs his obligation?
The court may cancel the fine or part of it if the enforcement debtor performs the obligation required of him.
When is the enforcement debtor banned from traveling in direct enforcement?
If enforcement is not possible through the competent force or the competent authority, or requires him to do it himself and he does not, at the request of the enforcement applicant under Article 19.
Articles this article refers to
- 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 19
The article allows a travel ban on the enforcement debtor at the applicant's request for up to 3 years, extendable to 6 years, and lists the cases in which the ban is lifted.
1- إذا انقضت المدة، المنصوص عليها في الفقرة (1) من المادة (الثامنة عشرة) من النظام، تأمر المحكمة بمنع المنفذ ضده من السفر إلى خارج المملكة -بناءً على طلب يقدم م
More articles on Imprisoning the Debtor and Direct Enforcement
- Article 31
The article bars handing the sale price to the enforcement applicant before ownership is transferred, and requires the occupant of sold real estate to vacate it for the new owner unless he holds an enforceable instrument giving him a right to use it.
1- لا يسلم ثمن المبيع لطالب التنفيذ -ومن يقوم مقامه- إلا بعد إكمال إجراءات نقل الملكية من الجهة المختصة. 2- إذا طلب من انتقل إليه عقار -وفق أحكام هذا الفصل- من
- Article 37
If 30 working days pass after compulsory enforcement procedures without compliance, the court, at the applicant's request, orders the debtor imprisoned for not more than 180 days, extendable.
1- إذا مضى (ثلاثون) يوم عمل على اتخاذ أي من إجراءات التنفيذ الجبري الواردة في المادة (السادسة والثلاثين) من النظام ولم يُنفذ المنـفذ ضده التزامه، فتأمر المحكمة
- Article 39
An instrument on custody and visitation is enforced compulsorily, even using the competent force and entering homes, and re-enforced whenever necessary; direct enforcement provisions apply to those who refuse, under the Implementing Regulations.
1- ينفذ -جبرًا- السند التنفيذي الصادر بالحضانة، والزيارة، حتى لو أدى ذلك إلى الاستعانة بالقوة المختصة وإلى دخول المنازل بحسب ما يقتضيه الحال، ويعاد تنفيذ السند
- Article 41
The direct enforcement provisions apply to those of a private legal person's personnel who cause enforcement to be obstructed, and the Implementing Regulations set the rules and procedures for enforcement against such a person.
1- تسري أحكام التنفيذ المباشر -في التنفيذ على الشخصية الاعتبارية الخاصة- على المتسبب في إعاقة التنفيذ من منسوبي الشخصية الاعتبارية الخاصة وفق الضوابط والإجراءات
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.