Article 1 of the Saudi Notarization Law

This article is the definitions article of the Notarization Law, explaining the meaning of words that recur throughout the rest of its articles, which are understood in these senses wherever they appear unless the context requires otherwise.

The most important things the article defines:

• Notarization: the set of procedures that ensure a right is established in a way that may be relied upon in accordance with the Law.
• Notary (kateb al-adl): a government employee with Sharia qualifications, appointed to the post of notary or head of notary office, competent to notarize contracts and acknowledgments; the place where they work is called the Notary Office.
• Licensed notary (muwathiq): a person who carries out notarization work under a license issued in accordance with the Law; the place where they work is called a notarization office.
• Marriage officiant (ma'dhun): a person who notarizes marriage contracts under a license issued in accordance with the Law.
• The license is the license of the licensed notary or marriage officiant, the licensee is the licensed notary or marriage officiant, and the register is the register in which licensees are entered.
• Notarization form: the form or record designated for notarization, which includes the signatures of the parties concerned.
• The parties concerned: the parties to the contract or the person making the acknowledgment.

The article also explains that the Minister means the Minister of Justice, the Ministry means the Ministry of Justice, the competent department means the body competent for notarization affairs in the Ministry, and the Regulations means the Implementing Regulations of the Law. Article 2 ties these terms to a basic obligation: that the notary and the licensee apply the provisions of Islamic Sharia and the laws when carrying out any notarization work.