Article 36 of the Saudi Notarization Law
المادة 36 من نظام التوثيق · الفصل الثاني: إجراءات التوثيق
The article requires contracts and acknowledgments to be notarized in Arabic.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
توثق العقود والإقرارات باللغة العربية.
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 36 explained in plain English
This article sets a clear rule: contracts and acknowledgments are notarized in Arabic. The wording is mandatory, so notarization is in Arabic whether it takes place before the notary or before a licensed notary.
The rule covers two kinds of acts:
- Contracts: for example, a contract between two or more parties that is to be notarized.
- Acknowledgments: statements made by the declarant alone. Article 1 defines the parties concerned as the parties to the contract or the declarant.
This rule matters particularly for people who do not speak Arabic and for companies dealing with foreign parties, since the notarized text is in Arabic. The article does not address attaching copies in other languages, so no rule on that can be drawn from it.
The article is linked to Article 37, which deals with documents issued outside the Kingdom: the notary and the licensee must accept them 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. Article 35 permits recording notarization data electronically, and the Arabic-language requirement in Article 36 is stated in general terms.
Anyone who has a contract in a foreign language and wants to notarize it may consult a lawyer who specializes in notarization and contracts to find out what is needed in their case.
Practical example
A company in Jeddah agreed a contract with a foreign partner who does not speak Arabic and they want to notarize it before a licensed notary. Under Article 36 the contract must be notarized in Arabic, so the text of the notarized contract needs to be in Arabic.
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 36 of the Saudi Notarization Law
Can a contract be notarized in English in Saudi Arabia?
Article 36 provides that contracts and acknowledgments are notarized in Arabic, and it mentions no exception.
Does the Arabic-language requirement cover acknowledgments too?
Yes. The text covers contracts and acknowledgments together.
What about translated foreign documents?
Article 37 deals with them: they are accepted 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.
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 34
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.
تبين اللائحة إجراءات التوثيق لدى كتابة العدل، ولدى المرخص له.
- 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 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.