Civil Transactions Law · Federal Decree-Law 25 of 2025
Article 258
Section One: Sources of Obligation > Chapter Three: Harmful Act > Part One: General Provisions
English translation
1. A claim for compensation arising from a harmful act shall not be admissible after the lapse of three (3) years from the day the injured party became aware of the occurrence of the damage and of the person responsible for it.
2. If the claim for compensation arises from a crime and the criminal action remains admissible after the lapse of the period mentioned in Paragraph (1) of this Article, the period for hearing the claim for compensation shall not commence except upon the termination of the criminal action.
3. In all cases, a claim for compensation shall not be admissible after the lapse of fifteen (15) years from the date of occurrence of the harmful act.
Official translation, as published by the portal.
Official Arabic text
.1 لا تُسمع دعوى الضمان الناشئة عن الفعل الضار بانقضاء (3) ثلاث سنوات من اليوم الذي علم فيه المضرور بحدوث الضرر وبالمسؤول عنه.
.2 إذا كانت دعوى الضمان ناشئة عن جريمة وكانت الدعوى الجزائية ما تزال مسموعة بعد انقضاء المدة المذكورة في الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة، فإن مدة سماع دعوى الضمان لا تبدأ إلا بعد انقضاء الدعوى الجزائية.
.3 في جميع الأحوال، لا تُسمع دعوى الضمان بانقضاء (15) خمس عشرة سنة من يوم وقوع الفعل الضار.
What it means when you sign
This article sets time limits for bringing a compensation claim arising from a harmful act. A claim is not heard after three years from the day the injured party learned of the damage and of the person responsible for it. If the claim arises from a crime and the criminal action can still be heard after those three years, the period for the compensation claim starts only when the criminal action ends. In all cases, no compensation claim is heard after fifteen years from the day the harmful act occurred.
For a contract about to be signed, this article is background for clauses on deadlines for making claims, notice of claims, or time limits on complaints. It gives the three-year and fifteen-year periods that apply to claims arising from harmful acts, and shows that the starting point of the shorter period is the date of knowledge, not the date of the act. A contract clause that sets its own deadline for such claims can be read against these periods.
Not yet cited in a Fahm report; shown because it sits in the same chapter as one that is.
Related articles
- Article 256This article sets out how compensation for a harmful act is worked out.
- Article 257Cited in Fahm reportsAny condition that excludes or reduces liability arising from a harmful act is void.
- Article 18This article says which country's law governs property.
- Article 19Cited in Fahm reportsThis article says which country's law governs a contract's obligations, both its form and its substance.
- Article 20This article says which country's law governs obligations that do not come from a contract, such as those arising from an act that causes harm.
- Article 28This article deals with what happens once a foreign law has been found to apply.