Article 115 of the Saudi Personal Status Law
المادة 115 من نظام الأحوال الشخصية · الفصل الرابع: فسخ عقد الزواج
The wife may request termination if her husband is missing or absent and his domicile and residence are unknown; the court rules only after a period it sets of not less than one year and not more than two years from the date he went missing or absent.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للزوجة طلب فسخ عقد الزواج بسبب فقد زوجها أو غيابه إذا كان لا يعرف موطنه ولا محل إقامته، على ألَّا تحكم المحكمة بفسخ العقد إلَّا بعد مضي مدة تحددها، على ألا تقل المدة عن (سنة) ولا تزيد على (سنتين) من تاريخ فقده أو غيبته.
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 115 explained in plain English
This article deals with a wife whose husband is missing, or absent with his domicile and place of residence unknown.
The right to request termination: the wife may request termination of the marriage contract because of:
- her husband's being missing;
- or his absence, if his domicile and place of residence are not known.
Waiting period: the court does not rule for termination of the contract until a period it sets has passed, and the period has two limits:
- not less than one year;
- and not more than two years.
This period is counted from the date the husband went missing or absent.
Difference from Article 114: Article 114 deals with an absent husband whose domicile or place of residence is known, and allows the wife to request termination if he is absent for a period of not less than 4 months for a reason other than work, after he is warned and given a period of up to 180 days. Article 115 concerns a husband whose whereabouts are unknown; it does not mention a warning, and the waiting period under it is at least one year.
To know the procedures in a particular case, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in personal status matters.
Practical example
News of a husband who traveled has been cut off and no one knows where he is. His wife filed a termination claim, and the court set a period of a year and a half from the date of his absence; under Article 115 it does not rule for termination until that period has passed.
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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Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 115 of the Saudi Personal Status Law
When can the wife of a missing husband request termination of the marriage?
She may request termination because her husband is missing or absent if his domicile and place of residence are not known.
How long does the wife of a missing husband wait before the court rules for termination?
A period set by the court of not less than one year and not more than two years from the date he went missing or absent.
More articles on Annulment of Marriage
- Article 27
The article makes spouses bound by their conditions, and a condition gives a right to annul the marriage only if it was written in the marriage document or acknowledged by both spouses.
1- الزوجان عند شروطهما. 2- لا يكون الشرط مثبتاً لخيار فسخ عقد الزواج إلا إذا نص على الشرط كتابةً في وثيقة عقد الزواج أو أقر به الزوجان.
- Article 28
The article allows the party who stipulated a condition in the marriage contract to request annulment at any time if the other does not fulfill it, without compensation if the breach is by the husband.
إذا لم يفِ أحد الزوجين بما شرطه الآخر وفقاً لما تضمنته المادة (السابعة والعشرون) من هذا النظام؛ فللمشترط طلب فسخ عقد الزواج متى شاء إلا إذا أسقط حقه صراحة. فإذا
- Article 34
The article provides that the court annuls a defective marriage, sets its effects before and after consummation, and applies its effects to a void marriage after consummation if the spouses did not know its ruling.
1- تفسخ المحكمة عقد الزواج الفاسد، ولا يترتب عليه أي أثر قبل الدخول إلا الطلاق إذا أوقعه الزوج فيقع بائناً بينونةً صغرى. 2- يترتب على الزواج الفاسد بعد الدخول م
- Article 76
The article sets out the cases in which separation occurs between spouses: divorce, khul', annulment of the marriage contract, the death of either spouse, and li'an.
تحصل الفرقة بين الزوجين في أي من الحالات الآتية: 1- الطلاق. 2- الخُلع. 3- فسخ عقد الزواج. 4- وفاة أحد الزوجين. 5- اللعان بين الزوجين.
- Article 103
Every separation between spouses by court judgment counts as a termination (faskh), is an irrevocable separation of the lesser degree, and is not counted among the three divorces.
كل تفريق بحكم قضائي يعد فسخًا، وتكون فرقة بائنة بينونة صغرى، ولا تحسب من التطليقات الثلاث.
- Article 104
Either spouse may request termination of the marriage because of a harmful or repellent defect in the other that prevents marital relations, unless the requester knew of it at the contract or showed consent to it after learning of it.
1- لكل من الزوجين طلب فسخ عقد الزواج لعلة مضرة في الآخر أو منفرة تمنع المعاشرة الزوجية -سواء كانت العلة قبل عقد الزواج أو طرأت بعده- ما لم يكن طالب الفسخ عالماً
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.