Article 52 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
المادة 52 من نظام الإثبات · الفصل الخامس: أحكام ختامية في الكتابة
The Article allows the court to accept a paper or digital document issued outside the Kingdom if certified by the competent authorities in the country of issue and in the Kingdom, unless it contravenes public order.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
مع عدم الإخلال بالتزامات المملكة بموجب الاتفاقيات الدولية التي تكون طرفاً فيها، يجوز للمحكمة أن تقبل في الإثبات المحرَّر الورقي أو الرقمي الصادر خارج المملكة والمصدق عليه من الجهات المختصة في الدولة التي صدر فيها والجهات المختصة في المملكة، وذلك ما لم يخالف 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 52 explained in plain English
This Article deals with documents issued outside the Kingdom, whether paper or digital, and the extent to which they are accepted as evidence before Saudi courts.
The court may accept such a document if the following are met:
- It is certified by the competent authorities in the country in which it was issued.
- It is certified by the competent authorities in the Kingdom.
- It does not contravene public order.
Note that the rule is discretionary: the text says the court may accept, so the decision to accept the document remains with it. The Article also does not specify the authorities competent to certify or the certification procedures, so reference is made to the relevant authorities.
The Article begins with the phrase without prejudice to the Kingdom's obligations under international agreements to which it is a party, meaning that if there is an international agreement binding on the Kingdom that regulates this matter, the Kingdom's obligations under it remain in force. The Article does not identify these agreements.
This Article is linked to Article 51, which sets out what takes the place of writing where proof must be in writing, and to Article 53, which defines digital evidence. A person who has a document issued abroad that he wants to rely on is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in international matters.
Practical example
A company in Riyadh deals with a supplier in another country and signed a contract with him there. In a dispute before a Saudi court, the court may accept the contract as evidence if it is certified by the competent authorities in that country and by the competent authorities in the Kingdom, and contains nothing that contravenes public order.
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 52 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
Do Saudi courts accept a document issued outside the Kingdom?
The court may accept it if it is certified by the competent authorities in the country in which it was issued and by the competent authorities in the Kingdom, unless it contravenes public order.
Does this include digital documents issued from abroad?
Yes. The Article refers to a paper or digital document issued outside the Kingdom.
Is the judge bound to accept a certified foreign document?
The text makes acceptance discretionary for the court, without prejudice to the Kingdom's obligations under international agreements to which it is a party.
More articles on Proof by Writing
- Article 25
An official document is one in which a public employee or person assigned to a public service records matters in accordance with legal formalities and within their authority; otherwise it has the force of an ordinary document if signed by the persons concerned.
1- المحرَّر الرسمي هو الذي يثبت فيه موظف عام أو شخص مكلف بخدمة عامة، ما تم على يديه أو ما تلقاه من ذوي الشأن، طبقاً للأوضاع النظامية، وفي حدود سلطته واختصاصه. 2
- Article 26
An official document is binding on everyone as to what its author did within his task or what occurred in his presence, unless forgery is proven, and what the persons concerned stated in it is binding on them unless the contrary is proven.
1- المحرَّر الرسمي حجة على الكافة بما دون فيه من أمور قام بها محرره في حدود مهمته، أو حدثت من ذوي الشأن في حضوره؛ ما لم يثبت تزويره بالطرق المقررة نظاماً. 2- يك
- Article 27
An official copy of an official document whose original exists is binding to the extent it matches the original; it is treated as matching unless a person concerned disputes it, in which case it must be compared with the original.
1- إذا كان أصل المحرَّر الرسمي موجوداً، فإن صورته الرسمية تعد حجة بالقدر الذي تكون فيه مطابقة للأصل. 2- تكون الصورة رسمية إذا أخذت من الأصل؛ وفقاً للإجراءات الم
- Article 28
If the original of an official document does not exist, an official copy has the force of the original if its appearance leaves no room for doubt that it matches, and other copies are taken into account only for guidance.
إذا لم يوجد أصل المحرَّر الرسمي فتكون للصورة الرسمية حجية الأصل؛ متى كان مظهرها الخارجي لا يسمح بالشك في مطابقتها للأصل، وما عدا ذلك من الصور فلا يعتد بها إلا ل
- Article 29
An ordinary document is binding on the person who signed it unless he expressly denies his handwriting, signature, seal or fingerprint, and a denial is not accepted from a person who has discussed the substance of the document before the court.
1- يعد المحرَّر العادي صادراً ممن وقعه وحجة عليه؛ ما لم ينكر صراحة ما هو منسوب إليه من خط أو إمضاء أو ختم أو بصمة، أو ينكر ذلك خلَفُه أو ينفي علمه بأن الخط أو ا
- Article 30
Correspondence that is signed, or proven to be attributable to its sender, has the force of an ordinary document, unless the sender proves that he did not send it and did not assign anyone to send it.
تكون للمراسلات الموقع عليها أو الثابت نسبتها إلى مرسلها؛ حجية المحرَّر العادي في الإثبات، ما لم يثبت المرسل أنه لم يرسل الرسالة ولم يكلف أحداً بإرسالها.
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.