Electronic Transactions and Trust Services Law · Federal Decree-Law 46 of 2021
Article 18
Chapter Three: Service Provider Licensing > Admissibility and Authenticity of Electronic Evidence and Trust
English translation
Services
1. The admissibility of an Electronic Document, Electronic Signature, Electronic Seal or Electronic Transactions as evidence in any legal proceeding shall not be precluded by the mere fact that it is received in electronic form and processed through Trust Services and Qualified Trust Services.
2. A hard copy of an official Electronic Document shall be considered conclusive evidence to the extent that it is identical to the original of such document.
3. A Qualified Electronic Signature shall be considered equal in its authenticity to a manual signature and shall have the same legal effect so long as it meets the conditions stipulated in this Decree Law and the Executive Regulations thereof.
4. A Qualified Electronic Seal of a legal person shall be considered evidence of the validity and integrity of the original information to which the Electronic Seal is linked.
5. A qualified date and time shall be verified through the Qualified Electronic Time Stamp whenever it is linked to correct data.
6. The Qualified Electronic Delivery Service shall be considered valid and legally effective if it meets the conditions stipulated in this Decree Law and the Executive Regulations thereof.
7. The Reliable Electronic Signature and the Reliable Electronic Seal shall be considered valid and legally effective if the conditions stipulated in this Decree Law and the Executive Regulations thereof are met.
8. Trust Services and Qualified Trust Services shall meet the conditions stipulated in this Decree Law and the Executive Regulations thereof.
Official translation, as published by the portal.
Official Arabic text
قبول وحجية البينة الإلكترونية وخدمات الثقة
.1 لا يحول دون قبول المستند الالكتروني أو التوقيع الإلكتروني أو الختم الإلكتروني أو المعاملات الإلكترونية كدليل إثبات في أي إجراء قانوني لجرد أنه ورد في شكل إلكتروني، وتم معالجته من خلال خدمات الثقة وخدمات الثقة المعتمدة.
.2 تعد الصورة المنسوخة على الورق من المستند الإلكتروني الرسمي حجة على الكافة بالقدر الذي تكون فيها مطابقة لأصل هذا المستند.
.3 يعد التوقيع الإلكتروني المعتمد مساوياً في حجيته للتوقيع اليدوي ويرتب ذات الأثر القانوني متى استوفى الشروط المنصوص عليها في هذا المرسوم بقانون ولائحته التنفيذية والقرارات الصادرة تنفيذاً له.
.4 يعد الختم الإلكتروني المعتمد للشخص الاعتباري دليلاً على صحة وسلامة أصل المعلومات التي يرتبط بها الختم الإلكتروني.
.5 يتم التثبت من التاريخ والوقت المعتمد من خلال ختم الوقت الإلكتروني المعتمد متى ما كان مرتبطاً ببيانات صحيحة.
.6 يعتد بخدمة التسليم الإلكتروني المعتمد وترتب أثرها القانوني متى استوفت الشروط المنصوص عليها في هذا المرسوم بقانون ولائحته التنفيذية.
.7 يعتد بالتوقيع الإلكتروني الموثوق والختم الإلكتروني الموثوق ويترتب أثرهما القانوني عليهما متى تم استيفاء الشروط المنصوص عليها في هذا المرسوم بقانون ولائحته التنفيذية.
.8 يجب أن تستوفي خدمات الثقة وخدمات الثقة المعتمدة الشروط المنصوص عليها في هذا المرسوم بقانون ولائحته التنفيذية.
What it means when you sign
This article sets the legal effect of electronic documents, signatures, seals and trust services. An electronic document, signature, seal or transaction cannot be refused as evidence in a legal proceeding merely because it is in electronic form or was processed through trust services. A hard copy of an official electronic document is conclusive evidence to the extent it is identical to the original. A qualified electronic signature is equal in authenticity to a manual signature and has the same legal effect, if it meets the law's conditions. A qualified electronic seal of a legal person is evidence of the validity and integrity of the information it is linked to. A qualified time stamp verifies a date and time when linked to correct data. A qualified electronic delivery service, and a reliable signature or seal, are valid and legally effective if the conditions in the law and regulations are met.
When you are about to sign electronically, this article means a qualified electronic signature carries the same effect as a handwritten one. A clause giving lesser weight to qualified or reliable signatures, or to electronic delivery, may run into this article, subject to the conditions in the law.
In Fahm reports this article usually sits under: Hidden wording
Related articles
- Article 17This article lists the kinds of trust services and qualified trust services.
- Article 19This article sets the conditions for an electronic signature or electronic seal to be considered reliable.
- Article 7This article deals with the legal requirement that something be in writing.
- Article 8Cited in Fahm reportsThis article deals with the legal requirement of a signature or seal.
- Article 9This article deals with the legal requirement that a document be submitted or kept in its original form.
- Article 10Cited in Fahm reportsThis article confirms that contracts can be made electronically.