Article 9 of the Saudi Personal Status Law

المادة 9 من نظام الأحوال الشخصية · الفصل الثاني: أحكام عامة للزواج

The article bars documenting the marriage contract of a person under 18, and lets the court permit the marriage if the person has reached puberty and his or her interest is established.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

يمنع توثيق عقد الزواج لمن هو دون (ثمانية عشر) عاماً، وللمحكمة أن تأذن بزواج من هو دون ذلك ذكراً كان أو أنثى إذا كان بالغاً بعد التحقق من مصلحته في هذا الزواج، وتبين لوائح هذا النظام الضوابط والإجراءات اللازمة لذلك.

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 9 explained in plain English

This article sets the age required for documenting a marriage contract, and makes an exception that the court holds.

The rule: documenting the marriage contract of a person under 18 is prohibited, and this covers both males and females.

The exception: the court may permit the marriage of a person under 18, male or female, on two conditions:

that he or she has reached puberty.
that the court verifies his or her interest in this marriage.

The permission is therefore not automatic but is a discretionary power of the court exercised after verifying the interest. The article refers to the regulations of this Law to set out the controls and procedures needed for this, and does not state their details.

This article is linked to Article 8, which requires documenting the marriage contract, and to Article 10, which provides that a person who marries under the provision of this article acquires capacity to litigate in everything relating to the marriage and its effects, if he or she is of sound mind.

In practice, a person who wishes to marry off someone under 18 cannot document the contract directly but needs the court's permission. To learn the controls and procedures in a particular case, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in personal status.

Practical example

A family in Medina applies to marry off their daughter, who has reached puberty and is 17 years old. The contract cannot be documented directly, and the family must apply to the court, which verifies the girl's interest in this marriage before permitting it.

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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