Article 10 of the Saudi Minors' Property Guardianship Law
المادة 10 من نظام الولاية على أموال القاصرين
The article gives the Authority administration of private endowments with no administrator and supervision of appointed administrators, requires periodic accounts from them, and lets it refer a harmful administrator to the court.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تختص الهيئة بالنظارة على جميع الأوقاف الأهلية التي لا ناظر عليها وكذلك المشتركة فيما يختص بالوقف الأهلي. ولها حق الإشراف على النظار المعينين إذا عهدت إليها المحكمة المختصة أو اقتضت المصلحة ذلك. وعلى الناظر المعين تقديم حساب دوري إلى الهيئة عن إيرادات ومصروفات الوقف.
وإذا تبين أنه يقوم بأعمال مضرة بمال الوقف فللهيئة أن تعترض على ما لا يسوغ من تلك الأعمال وتعرض أمره على المحكمة المختصة لمحاسبته أو عزله.
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 10 explained in plain English
This article governs the Authority's role in private (family) endowments, and contains three provisions:
1. Direct administration: the Authority is competent to administer all private endowments that have no administrator, and likewise joint endowments as regards the private part of them.
2. Supervising appointed administrators: the Authority has the right to supervise appointed administrators in two cases:
- If the competent court entrusts it with that.
- Or if the interest requires it.
An appointed administrator must submit a periodic account to the Authority of the endowment's revenues and expenses.
3. Dealing with an administrator who harms the endowment: if it becomes clear that the administrator is carrying out acts that harm the endowment's property, the Authority may:
- Object to those acts that are not permissible.
- And present his matter to the competent court to hold him to account or remove him.
The Authority does not remove the administrator itself; removal or accountability is through the court. The Authority is represented in that before the courts by its head or his delegate, as Article 9 provides. Article 11 also allows the Authority to demand partition of the endowment if it is an undivided share.
If you are a beneficiary of a private endowment and believe its administrator is harming the endowment, you can consult a lawyer who specializes in endowment cases.
Practical example
A grandfather of a family in Medina endowed a building for his descendants, and the court appointed one of the grandsons as its administrator. The Authority, which is charged with supervising him, noticed that he leases the apartments to his relatives for far less than their value. It may object to that and present his matter to the competent court to hold him to account or remove him.
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 10 of the Saudi Minors' Property Guardianship Law
Who administers a private endowment if it has no administrator?
The Authority is competent to administer all private endowments that have no administrator.
Must the endowment administrator submit an account to the Authority?
Yes. The appointed administrator must submit a periodic account to the Authority of the endowment's revenues and expenses.
Can the Authority remove the endowment administrator itself?
No. It may object to his harmful acts and present his matter to the competent court to hold him to account or remove him.
More articles on Administering Family Endowments
- Article 11
The article allows the Authority to request partition of a waqf, and the competent court to permit it, where the endowed property is an undivided share co-owned with another owner or shared between two or more waqfs.
يجوز للهيئة المطالبة بالقسمة وللمحكمة المختصة الإذن بذلك إذا كان الموقوف حصة شائعة مشتركة بين الواقف ومالك آخر أو أكثر أو مشتركة بين وقفين أو أكثر.
- Article 12
The article allows the supervisor, where a waqf is dilapidated or has no income and there is nothing to restore it with, to permit someone to restore it at his own expense by building or planting for a known term and a set rent.
يجوز للناظر إذا خرب الوقف أو تعذرت عودته لإنتاج غلة أو كان أرضا لا غلة لها ولا يوجد ما يعمر به من ريع الوقف أن يأذن لمن يعمره من ماله ببناء أو غرس أو نحوهما لمد
- Article 13
The article limits the cases in which the Authority may exchange a waqf for a similar one, and bars selling, exchanging, restoring or relocating a waqf without the approval of the competent court.
1- لا يجوز للهيئة أن تستبدل بالوقف مثله إلا إذا اشترط الواقف ذلك لنفسه أو لغيره، أو صار الوقف لا ينتفع به كليا، أو صار لا يفي بمؤونته، أو نزعت ملكيته للمنفعة ال
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.