Article 7 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
المادة 7 من نظام التنفيذ · الباب الثالث: السند التنفيذي
The article provides that compulsory enforcement requires an enforcement instrument for a specific right due for payment, and lists the enforcement instruments, such as final judgments, cheques, registered bills and notarized contracts.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- لا يجوز التنفيذ الجبري إلا بسند تنفيذي، اقتضاءً لحقٍّ معيّنٍ حالّ الأداء. والسندات التنفيذية المشمولة بأحكام النظام -دون إخلال بالسندات التنفيذية المشمولة بنظام التنفيذ أمام ديوان المظالم- هي:
أ- الأحكام والأوامر والقرارات النهائية، والأحكام المشمولة بالنفاذ المعجّل؛ الصادرة من محاكم المملكة.
ب- أحكام المحكّمين وفقًا للنصوص النظامية ذات الصلة.
ج- اتفاقات التسوية ووثائق الصلح الموثّقة وفقًا لنظام التوثيق، أو التي تصدرها الجهات المخولة بذلك نظامًا.
د- الكمبيالات والسندات لأمر متى كانت مسجلة في المنصات الإلكترونية الوطنية. وتبين اللائحة الشروط والضوابط والإجراءات المتعلقة بتسجيل الكمبيالات والسندات لأمر في تلك المنصات.
هـ- الشيكات.
و- العقود والإقرارات الموثقة وفقًا لنظام التوثيق.
ز- الأحكام والأوامر القضائية، وأحكام المحكمين، واتفاقات التسوية، والمحررات الموثقة؛ الصادرة من دولة أجنبية وفق ما قضت به المادة (التاسعة) من النظام.
ح- العقود والمحررات التي لها حكم السندات التنفيذية بموجب نظام أو قرار صادر من مجلس الوزراء.
2- تحدد اللائحة الإجراءات 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 7 explained in plain English
This article sets the basic rule of enforcement: compulsory enforcement is permitted only on the basis of an enforcement instrument, and to collect a specific right due for payment, that is, a defined right whose due time has arrived.
The enforcement instruments covered by the law, without prejudice to the instruments covered by the Enforcement Law before the Board of Grievances, are:
- Final judgments, orders and decisions, and judgments carrying immediate enforceability, issued by the courts of the Kingdom.
- Arbitral awards under the relevant legal provisions.
- Settlement agreements and conciliation documents notarized under the Notarization Law, or issued by bodies legally authorized to do so.
- Bills of exchange and promissory notes, provided they are registered on the national electronic platforms; the Implementing Regulations set out the conditions, controls and procedures for registration.
- Cheques, for which the article does not require registration.
- Contracts and acknowledgments notarized under the Notarization Law.
- Foreign court judgments and orders, arbitral awards, settlement agreements and notarized documents, in accordance with Article 9.
- Contracts and documents that have the status of enforcement instruments under a law or a decision of the Council of Ministers.
It follows that someone who holds a paper not on this list, such as an ordinary unnotarized contract, cannot on its basis alone request compulsory enforcement under this article. Likewise a bill of exchange or promissory note that is not registered on the national electronic platforms does not fall within item 4.
The Implementing Regulations specify the procedures needed to apply the article. Article 8 completes this rule for instruments where the right depends on performing an obligation, while for foreign instruments item 7 refers to what Article 9 provides.
Practical example
Saad sold goods to an establishment in Riyadh and received a cheque from it, and the cheque was not paid. A cheque is among the enforcement instruments in this article, so Saad can file a request to enforce it before the Enforcement Court. If instead he held a promissory note, it must be registered on the national electronic platforms to count as an enforcement instrument.
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 7 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
Is a cheque an enforcement instrument?
Yes. Cheques are among the enforcement instruments the article provides.
Is a bill of exchange always an enforcement instrument?
Bills of exchange and promissory notes are enforcement instruments when they are registered on the national electronic platforms; the Implementing Regulations set the conditions and procedures for registration.
Can an ordinary unnotarized contract be enforced in the Enforcement Court?
The article provides for contracts and acknowledgments notarized under the Notarization Law, and for contracts that have the status of an enforcement instrument under a law or a Council of Ministers decision; an unnotarized contract is not on this list in itself.
What are the conditions for the right that compulsory enforcement may collect?
It must be a specific right, due for payment, and established by an enforcement instrument.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Enforcement Document
- 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 8
The article allows the holder of the right to enforce settlement agreements, notarized contracts and instruments with enforcement status whose right depends on an obligation not shown as performed in the instrument, by attaching a report from an approved expert body.
إذا كان الحق محل السندات التنفيذية، المنصوص عليها في الفقرات الفرعية (ج) و(و) و(ح) من الفقرة (1) من المادة (السابعة) من النظام، معلقًا على تنفيذ التزام لا يعلم
- Article 9
The article sets the conditions for enforcing foreign judgments and orders in the Kingdom, including reciprocity, finality and not violating public order, and the rules for enforcing foreign arbitral awards and notarized documents.
1- مع مراعاة ما تقضي به التزامات المملكة بموجب المعاهدات والاتفاقيات الدولية، لا يجوز للمحكمة تنفيذ الحكم أو الأمر الأجنبي إلا على أساس المعاملة بالمثل وبعد الت
- Article 10
The article allows a debtor to ask the court to compel a creditor who refuses to collect a specific right due and established by an enforcement instrument, and if collection is impossible the court takes steps to let the debtor pay.
للمدين أن يتقدم إلى المحكمة بطلب استيفاء الدائن لحق معين حالّ الأداء وثابت بموجب سند تنفيذي امتنع الدائن عن استيفائه، وتأمر المحكمة في هذه الحالة الدائن باستيفا
- 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 45
The article lets any interested person bring an enforcement dispute about the validity of the instrument, the conditions of its enforcement or the court's jurisdiction, which the court decides under the provisions on urgent cases.
1- دون إخلال بما نصت عليه الفقرة (2) من المادة (الرابعة) من النظام، لمن له مصلحة من أطراف التنفيذ أو من غيرهم أن يتقدم بمنازعة تنفيذ تتعلق بصحة السند التنفيذي 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.