Article 13 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
المادة 13 من نظام الإثبات · الباب الأول: أحكام عامة
The court may adopt evidence procedures carried out outside the Kingdom unless they violate public order, without prejudice to the Kingdom's obligations under international agreements.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
دون إخلال بالتزامات المملكة في الاتفاقيات الدولية التي تكون طرفاً فيها، للمحكمة أن تأخذ بإجراءات الإثبات التي جرت خارج المملكة؛ ما لم تخالف النظام العام.
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 13 explained in plain English
This article deals with a situation that appears in cross-border transactions: an evidence procedure has been carried out outside the Kingdom.
The rule the article sets is:
- The court may adopt a procedure carried out abroad: the court may adopt evidence procedures carried out outside the Kingdom. The wording "the court may" indicates that this is permitted to it.
- The public order restriction: this permission does not extend to procedures that violate public order.
- International agreements: this rule applies without prejudice to the Kingdom's obligations under international agreements to which it is a party, so the article does not affect obligations those agreements create.
The text does not specify procedures for documenting or authenticating the procedure carried out abroad, and it mentions no conditions beyond those above.
In Article 12 the law deals with the way a mute person and the like make an admission, testify and take the oath, and in Article 14 it defines a judicial admission as the opponent's acknowledgment before the court of a fact alleged against him during the course of a case relating to it, and a non-judicial admission as one that was not made before the court or was made during another case.
Because this matter involves international agreements and public order, a person with an evidence procedure carried out outside the Kingdom would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in international matters and foreign investment, or in commercial cases.
Practical example
A company in Riyadh has a dispute with a foreign supplier, and one of the witnesses had given his testimony in a procedure carried out in the supplier's country. The court in the Kingdom may adopt this procedure unless it violates public order, and without prejudice to the Kingdom's obligations under any international agreement to which it is a party.
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 13 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
Do Saudi courts accept evidence procedures carried out outside the Kingdom?
The court may adopt evidence procedures carried out outside the Kingdom unless they violate public order.
Is the court obliged to adopt evidence procedures carried out abroad?
The text makes this permitted to the court by saying "the court may adopt", without prejudice to the Kingdom's obligations under international agreements.
When may a procedure carried out abroad not be adopted?
If it violates public order.
More articles on Burden of Proof and General Provisions
- Article 1
Article 1 defines the scope of the Law of Evidence, providing that its provisions apply to civil and commercial transactions.
تسري أحكام هذا النظام على المعاملات المدنية والتجارية.
- Article 2
The article requires the claimant to prove his right and gives the defendant the right to deny it, requires facts to be relevant, material and admissible, and prevents the judge from ruling on his personal knowledge.
1- على المدعي أن يثبت ما يدعيه من حق، وللمدعى عليه نفيه. 2- يجب أن تكون الوقائع المراد إثباتها متعلقة بالدعوى، ومنتجة فيها، وجائزاً قبولها. 3- لا يجوز للقاضي أن
- Article 3
The article sets general rules of evidence: the evidence is on the claimant and the oath on the denier, the function of each, and the difference between the force of evidence and of admission.
1- البينة على من ادعى، واليمين على من أنكر. 2- البينة لإثبات خلاف الظاهر، واليمين لإبقاء الأصل. 3- البينة حجة متعدية، والإقرار حجة قاصرة. 4- الثابت بالبرهان كال
- Article 4
If items of evidence conflict and cannot be reconciled, the court takes the one that is preferred in light of the case's circumstances, otherwise none, and must state its reasons in the judgment.
دون إخلال بأحكام هذا النظام، إذا تعارضت أدلة الإثبات ولم يمكن الجمع بينها فتأخذ المحكمة منها بحسب ما يترجح لها من ظروف الدعوى، فإن تعذر ذلك فلا تأخذ المحكمة بأي
- Article 5
The law does not require any particular form to prove an obligation, unless a special provision or an agreement between the parties says otherwise.
لا يلزم لإثبات الالتزام شكل معين؛ ما لم يرد فيه نص خاص أو اتفاق بين الخصوم.
- Article 6
The court gives effect to the parties' agreement on specific rules of evidence unless it violates public order, and such an agreement is not recognized unless it is in writing.
1- إذا اتفق الخصوم على قواعد محددة في الإثبات فتُعمِل المحكمة اتفاقَهم؛ ما لم يخالف النظام العام. 2- لا يعتد باتفاق الخصوم المنصوص عليه في هذا النظام ما لم يكن
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.