Article 30 of the Saudi Expropriation of Real Estate for Public Interest Law
المادة 30 من نظام نزع ملكية العقارات للمصلحة العامة · الباب السادس: أحكام ختامية
The Law's provisions do not prejudice the right of a person harmed other than an owner to claim compensation for any damage caused to him by the expropriation or temporary occupation procedures.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا تخل أحكام النظام بحق المتضرر من غير مالكي العقارات المقرر نزع ملكيتها أو وضع اليد المؤقت عليها؛ في المطالبة بالتعويض عن أي ضرر يلحق به بسبب إجراء من إجراءات نزع الملكية أو وضع اليد المؤقت.
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 30 explained in plain English
This Article protects a category that may be forgotten in expropriation: harmed persons who are not owners.
The rule: the Law's provisions do not prejudice the right of a person harmed, other than the owners of the properties to be expropriated or temporarily occupied, to claim compensation for any damage caused to him by any of the expropriation or temporary occupation procedures.
What this means:
- The compensation the Law regulates is directed mainly at owners, but this does not extinguish the right of others.
- A person who suffered damage and is not an owner keeps the right to claim compensation.
- This includes damage resulting from any procedure of expropriation or temporary occupation.
Note that the Article preserves the right to claim and does not specify the amount of compensation, how it is calculated, or the body before which it is claimed; it does not grant automatic compensation, but prevents the Law from being understood as extinguishing the rights of non-owners.
This Article comes in the context of protecting rights, and is followed by Article 31, which preserves the right of owners to dispose of their properties. A person harmed by a project who is not an owner, such as a tenant, would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in compensation or real estate cases.
Practical example
Omar rents a commercial shop in Riyadh and has run it for years, then the property is expropriated for a road project, forcing him to close his business. Omar is not an owner, but the Article preserves his right to claim compensation for the damage caused to him by the expropriation procedures.
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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Frequently asked questions about Article 30 of the Saudi Expropriation of Real Estate for Public Interest Law
Is a tenant entitled to claim compensation when a property is expropriated?
The Article preserves the right of a person harmed other than an owner to claim compensation for any damage caused to him by the expropriation or temporary occupation procedures.
Does the Article specify the amount of compensation for a non-owner?
No. It preserves the right to claim compensation without specifying its amount or how it is calculated.
More articles on Rights of Owners of Expropriated Property
- Article 31
Owners of properties to be expropriated or occupied keep the right to dispose of them, the buyer takes the seller's place in rights and obligations, and the seller must notify him.
1- لا تخل أحكام النظام بحق مالكي العقارات المقرر نزع ملكيتها أو وضع اليد المؤقت عليها؛ في التصرف بهذه العقارات. 2- يحل المشتري محل البائع في جميع ما يتصل بالحقو
- Article 32
If the need for the expropriated property ends during or after the procedures, the Authority is notified, and the owner may ask to recover it within a year of notification on condition of returning the compensation.
1- إذا انتفت الحاجة إلى نزع ملكية العقار أثناء السير في إجراءات نزع الملكية أو بعد استكمالها، فعلى الجهة صاحبة المشروع أو الجهة المشرفة -بحسب الأحوال- أن تُبلِغ
- Article 35
A person with an interest in the property, or a relative by blood or marriage of an owner, or his legal representative, may not take part in the expropriation procedures, and participants must keep matters confidential.
1- لا يجوز أن يشترك في أي إجراء من إجراءات نزع ملكية عقار أو وضع اليد المؤقت على عقار، من كان له في ذلك العقار مصلحة أو علاقة مباشرة أو غير مباشرة، أو كان بينه
- Article 36
Anyone about whose property a decision has been issued under the Law and the Regulations may object to it in accordance with the relevant statutory procedures.
لمن صدر بشأن عقاره قرار -بناءً على النظام واللائحة- التقدم بالاعتراض عليه وفقاً للإجراءات النظامية ذات العلاقة.
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.