Article 31 of the Saudi Minors' Property Guardianship Law

This article deals with a conflict of interests: a minor or someone treated like a minor should not be represented in a dispute by a person whose interest conflicts with his.

The solution the provision sets: the Authority must ask the competent court to appoint a litigation executor, that is, a person who represents the covered person in this particular dispute.

The two cases:

1. If the covered person's interest conflicts with the interest of the Authority itself.
2. If his interest conflicts with the interest of his guardian, executor, curator or waqf supervisor.

Note that in the first case the Law did not make the Authority represent the minor against itself, but required it to ask for an independent executor to be appointed; this is an important safeguard of impartiality. The provision is in mandatory form ("the Authority must"), and the appointment is made by the court.

This article comes after Article 30, which requires the Authority to ask for the removal of the guardian, executor, curator, agent or supervisor if he is absent, interdicted or has defaulted, and before Article 32, which sets out the cases in which the Authority's guardianship ends.

If there is a financial dispute between a minor in your family and his guardian or executor, you can consult a lawyer who specializes in personal status and estates.