Tort liabilityIn Arabic: المسؤولية التقصيرية

Definition

Tort liability is the duty of a person who causes harm to another by a wrongful act to compensate that person, outside any contract between them.

Contractual liability is the different case: it rests on breach of an obligation the parties agreed.

How it varies across the GCC

In Saudi Arabia any fault that causes harm to another obliges the person at fault to compensate (Civil Transactions Law, article 120), so the basis is fault. The claim is not heard after three years from knowledge of the harm and of the person liable, and in all cases after ten years from the event (article 143). In the UAE (article 246 of Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025) and in Oman (article 176) any harm to another obliges the person who caused it to compensate, even if that person lacks discernment. Bahrain’s Civil Code states the liability in article 158.

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.

Sources

Official texts for the points on this page. General information, not legal advice. An article number is cited only where it was verified.

1. Saudi Civil Transactions Law, art. 120, 143https://laws.boe.gov.sa/BoeLaws/Laws/LawDetails/655fdb42-8c96-422b-b8c4-b04f0095c94c/1
2. UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 (in force 1 June 2026), art. 246https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011
3. Oman Civil Transactions Law, Royal Decree 29/2013 (text on qanoon.om), art. 176https://qanoon.om/p/2013/rd2013029/
4. Bahrain Civil Code, Decree-Law No. 19 of 2001, art. 158https://www.lloc.gov.bh/Legislation/HTM/L1901