Article 11 of the Saudi Minors' Property Guardianship Law
المادة 11 من نظام الولاية على أموال القاصرين
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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.
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 11 explained in plain English
This article deals with a common situation in waqfs (endowments): the endowed property is an undivided share, meaning an unseparated part of real estate or other jointly owned property.
The article applies in two situations:
- The endowed share is co-owned by the founder (waqif) and one or more other owners, for example someone who endowed his share of land he owns with his brothers.
- The share is shared between two or more waqfs.
In both situations the provision establishes two things:
- The Authority may request partition, that is, ask for the waqf's share to be separated from the others'.
- The competent court may permit it; partition is not carried out on the Authority's decision alone but with the court's permission.
The benefit of partition is that the waqf gets a defined share that can be clearly managed and used, instead of remaining mixed with other people's property or with other waqfs. The ruling is permissive: the provision does not oblige the Authority to request partition in every case.
This article is part of the provisions on waqfs: Article 10 provides for the Authority's supervision of family waqfs that have no supervisor, and Article 12 regulates the restoration of a dilapidated waqf.
If you co-own property with a waqf and want to know the partition procedures, you can consult a lawyer who specializes in waqf cases.
Practical example
Three brothers in Qassim inherited a farm, and one of them endowed his share of it for his children, while the other two brothers remained owners of their shares. Here the waqf is an undivided share held with other owners, so the Authority may request partition of the farm to separate the waqf's share, and the competent court may permit it.
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 11 of the Saudi Minors' Property Guardianship Law
Can a waqf be partitioned if it is co-owned with private property?
Yes. The Authority may request partition and the competent court may permit it where the endowed property is an undivided share co-owned by the founder and one or more other owners.
Does partitioning a waqf require court permission?
Yes. The provision gives the permission for partition to the competent court.
Does the article cover a share held jointly between two waqfs?
Yes. It covers an undivided share shared between two or more waqfs.
More articles on Administering Family Endowments
- Article 10
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.
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 المح
- 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.