Article 8 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
المادة 8 من نظام التنفيذ · الباب الثالث: السند التنفيذي
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 تحقق تنفيذه من السند نفسه؛ فيجوز لصاحب الحق التقدم إلى المحكمة بطلب تنفيذ السند مرافقًا له تقرير من إحدى جهات الخبرة التي تعتمدها الوزارة، يثبت فيه تنفيذ ذلك الالتزام. وتحدد اللائحة الأحكام والإجراءات 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 8 explained in plain English
This article deals with a delicate case: where the right in the enforcement instrument is conditional on performing another obligation, and one cannot tell from the instrument itself whether this obligation has been performed.
The instruments covered: the article is limited to three kinds of instruments in paragraph (1) of Article 7:
- Item (c): settlement agreements and conciliation documents notarized or issued by the authorized bodies.
- Item (f): contracts and acknowledgments notarized under the Notarization Law.
- Item (h): contracts and documents that have the status of enforcement instruments under a law or a decision of the Council of Ministers.
What solution does the article give? The holder of the right may file a request to enforce the instrument with the court, attaching a report from one of the expert bodies approved by the Ministry of Justice, which establishes that the obligation on which the right depends has been performed.
In this way the holder of the right benefits from the enforcement force of the instrument even if his right is conditional, instead of having to prove performance of the obligation by another route. This is consistent with the rule in Article 7 that the right must be specific and due for payment.
The article refers to the Implementing Regulations to specify the necessary provisions and procedures, and does not itself say who the approved expert bodies are or what form the report takes. To assess whether the article applies to a particular contract, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in enforcement cases.
Practical example
A contracting company in Riyadh concluded a notarized contract with a building owner, under which the owner undertakes to pay an installment after the company completes a certain stage of the work. It does not appear from the contract itself that the stage was completed, so the company may ask the court to enforce the contract, attaching a report from an expert body approved by the Ministry of Justice establishing the completion of that stage.
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 8 of the Saudi Enforcement Law
How do I enforce a notarized contract conditional on my performing an obligation?
The holder of the right may file a request with the court to enforce the instrument, attaching a report from one of the expert bodies approved by the Ministry that establishes performance of that obligation.
Does this article apply to cheques and judgments?
No. The article is limited to the instruments in sub-items (c), (f) and (h) of paragraph (1) of Article 7.
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 7
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.
1- لا يجوز التنفيذ الجبري إلا بسند تنفيذي، اقتضاءً لحقٍّ معيّنٍ حالّ الأداء. والسندات التنفيذية المشمولة بأحكام النظام -دون إخلال بالسندات التنفيذية المشمولة بن
- 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.