Article 5 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
المادة 5 من نظام التنفيذ · الباب الثاني: الاختصاص
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 الأحكام اللازمة لما 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 5 explained in plain English
This article deals with a practical situation that arises often: more than one attachment order on the same asset issued by different bodies, for example where the debtor has an account or asset with some body and then an attachment order reaches it from one body, then another from a different body.
The article provides as follows:
- Who is addressed: the holder of the attached asset, that is, the person or body that holds the enforcement debtor's asset.
- The obligation: to notify the body that issued the later attachment order that there is an earlier first attachment on the same asset.
- The details: the article refers to the Implementing Regulations to specify the provisions needed to apply it, and does not itself say how to rank the attachments or choose between them.
The purpose of this notice is that the body making the later attachment knows of the earlier attachment, so it does not deal with the asset as if it were free of any attachment. After this article comes Article 6, which deals with a more specific case, namely where an enforcement attachment is made by two judicial bodies or by a judicial body together with an administrative body; it provides that all of the enforcement debtor's assets are treated as attached for the benefit of all enforcement requests, and it identifies the judicial body competent to supervise the attachments.
To understand the effect of multiple attachments on the rights of a particular creditor, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in enforcement cases, because the article itself leaves the details to the Implementing Regulations.
Practical example
Khalid has an account at a bank, and an order to attach his balance was issued by one body, and then a second attachment order reached the bank from another body. Under this article the bank, as the holder of the attached asset, must notify the body that issued the second attachment order of the existence of the first attachment.
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 5 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
What happens if more than one attachment order is issued on the same asset?
The holder of the attached asset must notify the body that issued the later attachment order of the first attachment, and the Implementing Regulations specify the necessary provisions.
Who is responsible for giving notice of the earlier attachment?
The holder of the attached asset, that is, the body or person that holds the enforcement debtor's asset.
More articles on Enforcement Court and Its Jurisdiction
- Article 1
The article defines the terms used in the Enforcement Law, such as the court, the competent department, the competent force, direct enforcement and enforcement expenses.
يُقصد بالألفاظ والعبارات الآتية -أينما وردت في هذا النظام- المعاني المبيّـنة أمام كل منها، ما لم يقتض السياق غير ذلك: النظام: نظام التنفيذ. اللائحة: اللائحة الت
- Article 2
The article explains that the Enforcement Court consists of first-instance and appeal circuits, or first-instance circuits only, and says where judgments are appealed where the court has no appeal circuits.
1- تتكون المحكمة من دوائر ابتدائيّة ودوائر استئناف، أو من دوائر ابتدائيّة فقط. 2- يكون استئناف الأحكام الصادرة من الدوائر الابتدائيّة في المحكمة التي ليس فيها د
- Article 3
The article obliges all competent authorities, including those supervising or registering assets, to respond to the Enforcement Court's orders and decisions within 3 working days of being notified, unless a special provision exists.
على جميع الجهات المختصة -ومنها الجهات المشرفة على الأموال أو تسجيلها- الاستجابة لأوامر وقرارات المحكمة ذات الصلة بالتنفيذ وإجراءاته خلال مدة لا تتجاوز (ثلاثة) أ
- Article 4
The article sets the Enforcement Court's jurisdiction over supervising enforcement, compulsory enforcement and enforcement disputes, except for criminal penalties and the Board of Grievances' matters, without looking at the underlying right.
1- عدا تنفيذ العقوبات الجزائية وما تختص به محاكم ديوان المظالم، تختص المحكمة بالإشراف على التنفيذ وإجراءاته، وبالتنفيذ الجبري وإجراءاته، وتتولى الفصل في منازعات
- 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 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.