Article 34 of the Saudi Notarization Law
المادة 34 من نظام التوثيق · الفصل الثاني: إجراءات التوثيق
The article refers to the Implementing Regulations the statement of notarization procedures followed at the notary's office and with the licensee, whether a licensed notary or a marriage officiant.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تبين اللائحة إجراءات التوثيق لدى كتابة العدل، ولدى المرخص له.
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 34 explained in plain English
This article is short and sets no detailed procedures itself. It refers to the Implementing Regulations of the Law the task of stating the steps notarization goes through.
The article names two bodies whose procedures differ:
- The notary's office: under Article 1, the place of work of the notary, a government employee with Sharia qualifications who is competent to notarize contracts and acknowledgments.
- The licensee: the licensed notary who performs notarization work under a license, or the marriage officiant who notarizes marriage contracts under a license.
In practice this means that anyone who wants the detailed steps of notarization at either body should refer to the Implementing Regulations, because the Law itself does not detail them in this article, and the article does not state what those procedures contain.
The Law does, however, set some general rules related to procedures in other articles, including Article 33, which requires the marriage officiant, before performing a marriage contract, to verify that the pillars and conditions are met, that no impediments exist between the spouses and that the guardian required under Sharia is present, and Article 35, which permits recording notarization data electronically and gives it the status of written documents in accordance with the Electronic Transactions Law.
Anyone unsure about a particular procedure in notarizing a transaction may inquire with the competent body or consult a lawyer who specializes in notarization and contracts.
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 34 of the Saudi Notarization Law
Where can I find the notarization procedures at the notary's office?
Article 34 of the Notarization Law provides that the Implementing Regulations of the Law set out the notarization procedures at the notary's office.
Are the notarization procedures with a licensed notary the same as at the notary's office?
The article mentions both bodies and leaves it to the Implementing Regulations to state the procedures for each; the article itself does not specify the details.
Who is the licensee under the Notarization Law?
Under the Law's definitions, the licensee is the licensed notary or marriage officiant who works under a license issued in accordance with the provisions of the Law.
More articles on Notarization Procedures and Powers of Attorney
- Article 30
The article requires the notary to receive notarization requests and take the necessary steps under the Law and its Regulations, and gives anyone whose request is refused the right to file a grievance with the competent department.
على كاتب العدل تلقي طلبات التوثيق، واتخاذ ما يلزم في شأنها، وفقاً لأحكام النظام ولائحته، ولمن رُفض طلبه حق التظلم لدى الإدارة المختصة.
- Article 35
The article permits recording notarization data electronically and gives it the status of written documents in accordance with the provisions of the Electronic Transactions Law.
يجوز تدوين بيانات التوثيق إلكترونيًّا، ويكون لها حكم المحررات المكتوبة، وفقًا لأحكام نظام التعاملات الإلكترونية.
- Article 36
The article requires contracts and acknowledgments to be notarized in Arabic.
توثق العقود والإقرارات باللغة العربية.
- Article 37
The article requires the notary and the licensee to accept documents issued outside the Kingdom after verifying that they do not conflict with Sharia or statutory requirements and after the Ministry attests them, and this applies to the original of their Arabic translation.
على كاتب العدل والمرخص له اعتماد الوثائق الصادرة من خارج المملكة بعد التحقق من عدم مخالفتها للمقتضى الشرعي أو النظامي وتصديق الوزارة عليها، ويسري ذلك على أصل تر
- Article 38Amended by M/21
The article sets the term of a power of attorney deed at five years from its date of issue, unless it ends earlier through revocation, death, loss of capacity, or a shorter term set by the principal.
تكون مدة صك الوكالة خمس سنوات من تاريخ صدوره ما لم تُفسخ أو يُتوفى أحد طرفيها أو تُفقد أهليته قبل مضي هذه المدة أو يحدد الموكل مدتها بما يقل عن تلك المدة
- Article 39
The article requires notarization records to be kept at the notary's office and with licensees, and refers to the Regulations the controls for this, the procedures for handing over the records, copies of notarized contracts, and the departments competent to receive them.
تُحفظ أوعية التوثيق في كتابة العدل ولدى المرخص لهم، وتحدد اللائحة ضوابط ذلك، وإجراءات تسليم أوعية التوثيق، ونسخ العقود الموثقة، والإدارات المختصة بتسلمها.
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.