Article 66 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
المادة 66 من نظام الإثبات · الفصل الأول: محل الشهادة
The Article requires every transaction worth more than SAR 100,000, or of unspecified value, to be proven in writing, bars proof by witnesses unless agreed or provided, and explains how value is assessed.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يجب أن يثبت بالكتابة كل تصرف تزيد قيمته على (مائة ألف ريال أو ما يعادلها) أو كان غير محدد القيمة.
2- لا تقبل شهادة الشهود في إثبات وجود أو انقضاء التصرفات الواردة في الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة، ما لم يوجد اتفاق أو نص يقضي بغير ذلك.
3- يقدر الالتزام باعتبار قيمته وقت صدور التصرف بغير ضم الملحقات إلى الأصل.
4- إذا اشتملت الدعوى على طلبات متعددة ناشئة عن مصادر متعددة جاز الإثبات بشهادة الشهود في كل طلب لا تزيد قيمته على (مائة ألف ريال أو ما يعادلها)؛ ولو كانت هذه الطلبات في مجموعها تزيد على تلك القيمة، أو كان منشؤها علاقات بين الخصوم أنفسهم أو تصرفات ذات طبيعة واحدة.
5- تكون العبرة في إثبات الوفاء الجزئي بقيمة الالتزام الأصلي.
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 66 explained in plain English
This Article sets what is called the threshold for proof in writing, and it is one of the most practical Articles in the Law because it determines when testimony is not enough to prove a right.
- Paragraph (1): Every transaction whose value exceeds (SAR 100,000 or its equivalent), or that is of unspecified value, must be proven in writing.
- Paragraph (2): Witness testimony is not accepted to prove the existence or the extinction of these transactions, unless there is an agreement or a provision stating otherwise.
- Paragraph (3): The value of the obligation is assessed at the time the transaction is made, without adding accessories to the principal.
- Paragraph (4): If the case includes multiple claims arising from multiple sources, proof by witnesses is permitted for each claim whose value does not exceed (SAR 100,000 or its equivalent), even if the total of the claims exceeds that, or if their origin is relations between the same parties or transactions of the same nature.
- Paragraph (5): In proving partial payment, what counts is the value of the original obligation, not the value of the part paid.
This Article is among the provisions Article 65 referred to when it made the rule that proof by testimony is permitted unless a provision states otherwise. Article 67 also adds cases in which proof by witnesses is not permitted even if the value does not exceed this amount.
The practical lesson is that documenting large transactions in writing protects rights. A person who has a transaction close to this limit, or of unspecified value, is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in civil and commercial litigation.
Practical example
Fahd lent his friend SAR 150,000 without writing a contract, and then the friend denied the loan. Witness testimony is not accepted here to prove the existence of the loan because its value exceeds SAR 100,000, unless there is an agreement or a provision stating otherwise. If the friend later claimed that he had repaid SAR 30,000, what counts in proving this partial payment is the value of the original obligation.
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 66 of the Saudi Law of Evidence
Can a debt of more than SAR 100,000 be proven by witnesses?
Witness testimony is not accepted to prove the existence or extinction of a transaction whose value exceeds SAR 100,000 or its equivalent, unless there is an agreement or a provision stating otherwise.
How is the value of a transaction assessed to know whether it must be proven in writing?
The value of the obligation is assessed at the time the transaction is made, without adding accessories to the principal.
If I have several small claims that total more than SAR 100,000, can I prove them by witnesses?
If they arise from multiple sources, proof by witnesses is permitted for each claim whose value does not exceed SAR 100,000, even if their total exceeds that.
What is the rule for a transaction of unspecified value?
It must be proven in writing, and testimony is not accepted to prove its existence or extinction unless there is an agreement or a provision stating otherwise.
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.