Article 32 of the Saudi Municipalities Law
المادة 32 من نظام البلديات والقرى
The article makes all lands within the municipality's boundaries that no one owns the municipality's property, subject to rights recognized under Sharia.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
مع مراعاة الحقوق المعتبرة شرعا، تكون جميع الأراضي التي لا يملكها أحد داخل حدود البلدية ملكا لها.
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 32 explained in plain English
This article sets the fate of unowned lands within a municipality's boundaries:
- The rule: all lands within the municipality's boundaries that no one owns are the municipality's property.
- The limit: this is subject to rights recognized under Sharia; that is, the rule does not extinguish a right established under Sharia for any person.
The territorial scope of the provision is within the municipality's boundaries, so it does not extend to what lies outside them. The article does not explain how ownership or rights recognized under Sharia are proven, or the procedures relating to that; the text does not deal with these matters.
The practical effect is that land inside a municipality's boundaries, if it has no owner, is not land available to whoever takes possession of it, but is the municipality's property. As for anyone who believes they have a right recognized under Sharia in such land, the article itself preserves respect for that right.
It is followed by Article 33, which provides that the municipality's movable and immovable property and all its resources cannot be seized, protecting this property from attachment. The preceding Article 31 concerns the municipal police.
Anyone with a dispute with a municipality over land ownership should consult a lawyer specialized in real estate or administrative cases.
Practical example
A person in Al-Kharj governorate fenced a plot of vacant land within the municipality's boundaries without a deed or any established right in it. Under this article, land that no one owns within the municipality's boundaries is the municipality's property, and fencing alone does not give the person ownership of 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 32 of the Saudi Municipalities Law
Who owns unowned land inside a city?
All lands within the municipality's boundaries that no one owns are the municipality's property, subject to rights recognized under Sharia.
Does this article cancel individuals' rights in land?
No. The article limits the rule by respecting rights recognized under Sharia.
More articles on Municipal Property and Resources
- Article 33
The article provides that the municipality's movable and immovable property and all its resources cannot be seized.
أملاك البلدية المنقولة وغير المنقولة وكافة مواردها غير قابلة للحجز.
- Article 35
The article lists the municipality's resources: its direct fees and share of indirect fees, fines, revenues from its property, bequests and gifts, exceptional fees, state subsidies, and any other authorized resource.
تتألف موارد البلدية من: 1 - رسوم البلدية المباشرة التي تجبيها البلدية بنفسها وحصتها من الرسوم غير المباشرة التي تخصصها الدولة للبلديات وتجبيها لصالحها. 2 - الغر
- Article 39
The article provides that the municipality's resources, fines and penalties are collected under the regulations and instructions in force.
تحصل موارد البلدية والغرامات والجزاءات وفق الأنظمة والتعليمات المرعية.
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.