Litigation and procedure · Legal glossary
Statute of limitationsIn Arabic: التقادم (عدم سماع الدعوى)
Definition
The passing of a period set by law without a claim being made, after which the court will not hear the claim. Saudi law does not say the right is extinguished. It says the claim is not heard: لا تُسمع الدعوى.
How it varies across the GCC
The periods below are the ones verified for this page. They differ by the kind of claim and by the state. A figure is stated only where the article was verified.
The rules that apply to a specific matter depend on the state, any free zone involved and the current text of the law, so check the official source before relying on them.
Verified periods
| Claim | Period | Instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia, harm outside a contract | Not heard after 3 years from knowledge, and in all cases after 10 years from the event | Civil Transactions Law, art. 143 |
| Saudi Arabia, commercial claims | 5 years | Commercial Courts Law, art. 24 |
| Saudi Arabia, labour claims | 12 months | Labour Law, art. 222 |
| Bahrain, tort, long-stop | 15 years | Civil Code, art. 183 |
| Oman, civil claims (example) | The period is the one article 218 states. This page does not restate a figure beyond that article. | Civil Transactions Law, art. 218 |
Sources
Official texts for the points on this page. General information, not legal advice. An article number is cited only where it was verified.
- Saudi Civil Transactions Law, art. 143https://laws.boe.gov.sa/BoeLaws/Laws/LawDetails/655fdb42-8c96-422b-b8c4-b04f0095c94c/1
- Saudi Commercial Courts Law, art. 24https://laws.boe.gov.sa/BoeLaws/Laws/LawDetails/38334008-3b70-4c6c-b3af-aba3016a8061/1
- Saudi Labour Law, art. 222https://laws.boe.gov.sa/BoeLaws/Laws/LawDetails/08381293-6388-48e2-8ad2-a9a700f2aa94/1
- Bahrain Civil Code, Decree-Law No. 19 of 2001, art. 183https://www.lloc.gov.bh/Legislation/HTM/L1901
- Oman Civil Transactions Law, Royal Decree 29/2013 (text on qanoon.om), art. 218https://qanoon.om/p/2013/rd2013029/