Article 30 of the Saudi Off-Plan Real Estate Sales and Leasing Law

This article sets the effective date of the Law, meaning the day its provisions begin to apply.

The rule: the Law takes effect 90 days after the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

What follows from this?

• The Law does not apply as soon as it is published, but only after 90 days have passed since publication.
• This period gives those concerned, such as developers, consulting offices, certified accountants and banks, an opportunity to get their affairs in order before the Law starts to apply.
• The period is counted from the date of publication in the Official Gazette, not from the date the Law was issued.

This article is linked to Article 28, which requires the responsible authority to issue the Implementing Regulations within 90 days of the date the Law is published in the Official Gazette, and provides that the Regulations take effect from the date the Law takes effect. The two periods are equal, and both are counted from the date of publication.

It also follows Article 29, which repeals any provisions that conflict with the Law.

To find out whether a particular act took place before or after the Law took effect, and what effect that has on it, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in real estate matters.