Article 33 of the Saudi Municipalities Law
المادة 33 من نظام البلديات والقرى
The article provides that the municipality's movable and immovable property and all its resources cannot be seized.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
أملاك البلدية المنقولة وغير المنقولة وكافة مواردها غير قابلة للحجز.
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 33 explained in plain English
This article gives special protection to municipal funds: all its property cannot be seized, and this protection covers:
- Movable property, such as equipment, vehicles and movable funds.
- Immovable property, such as land and buildings.
- All of the municipality's resources.
Seizure (attachment) is placing money in the hands of the judiciary or an enforcement body in order to satisfy a debt from it. The meaning of the article is that someone with a financial claim against the municipality cannot ask to attach its property or resources to satisfy that claim.
But the article does not say that claims against the municipality lapse; it bars one particular means, which is attachment, and does not address other ways of making a claim. It does not explain how a creditor collects its right from the municipality; the text does not deal with that.
This article is connected to Article 32, which makes lands within the municipality's boundaries that no one owns the municipality's property, subject to rights recognized under Sharia; these lands fall within the municipality's property that is protected from attachment. It is followed by Article 34, which regulates preparing the municipality's budget under the regulations on that, and makes it follow the state budget as to its start and end.
Anyone owed amounts by a municipality and looking for a way to collect should consult a lawyer specialized in administrative or enforcement cases.
Practical example
An equipment supplier in Riyadh obtained a judgment for an amount against a municipality, and wanted to ask for attachment of the municipality's vehicles to satisfy it. Under this article, the municipality's movable and immovable property and resources may not be attached, so the supplier needs to look for another way to collect the right.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentAdministrative Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Administrative Law (Board of Grievances) lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Al-Safwa Law Office and Legal Consultancy
Frequently asked questions about Article 33 of the Saudi Municipalities Law
Can a municipality's funds be seized?
No. The article provides that the municipality's movable and immovable property and all its resources cannot be seized.
Do my claims against the municipality lapse because its property cannot be seized?
The article does not provide that claims lapse; it only bars attachment of the municipality's property and resources.
More articles on Municipal Property and Resources
- Article 32
The article makes all lands within the municipality's boundaries that no one owns the municipality's property, subject to rights recognized under Sharia.
مع مراعاة الحقوق المعتبرة شرعا، تكون جميع الأراضي التي لا يملكها أحد داخل حدود البلدية ملكا لها.
- 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.