Article 57 of the Saudi Notarization Law

This article sets out when the Notarization Law begins to apply and its effect on earlier provisions.

First: entry into force. The Law comes into force 180 days after the date of its publication in the Official Gazette. It is not applied from the day of publication but after this period has passed, which allows time to prepare for applying it. The article does not state a specific date, so the start of application is calculated from the actual date of publication in the Official Gazette.

Second: repeal. The Law repeals any provisions that conflict with it. This means earlier provisions that do not conflict with it are not repealed by this article, and those that do conflict are not applied after the Law comes into force. The article does not name any particular earlier provisions.

Link to Article 56: Article 56 requires the Minister of Justice to issue the Implementing Regulations after coordination with the Supreme Judicial Council within 180 days of the date of issue of the Law. Note that the deadline for the Regulations runs from the date of issue, whereas the period before entry into force in Article 57 runs from the date of publication.

The date of entry into force matters in determining whether a particular notarization transaction is governed by this Law or by what preceded it. Anyone with a notarization transaction completed close to the start of the Law's application may consult a lawyer who specializes in notarization and contracts.