Article 31 of the Saudi Product Safety Law

This article sets the basic rule on liability for a defect in a product: the manufacturer is responsible for any damage resulting from a defect in the product it placed on the market.

This liability rests on several elements:

• Who is liable: the manufacturer, which under Article 1 is the person who makes the product, or has it made by someone else and markets it under its own name or trademark.
• The cause: a defect in the product.
• The result: damage resulting from that defect. The phrase "any damage" is general.
• The link to the market: the manufacturer must be the one that placed the product on the market.

The article does not define the defect itself, but provides that the regulations define the defect that gives rise to liability. So not every flaw is necessarily a defect that gives rise to liability, only what the regulations specify.

It is followed by Article 32, which widens who counts as a manufacturer to include the manufacturer of a raw material, the manufacturer of component products, and anyone who puts their name or trademark on the product as manufacturer. It transfers the responsibilities of a manufacturer located outside the Kingdom to the importer or the authorized representative, and provides for joint liability of all economic operators where the manufacturer or importer cannot be identified.

Anyone who suffers harm from a product is advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in civil compensation claims.