Civil Transactions Law (contracts dated before 1 June 2026) · Federal Law 5 of 1985
Article 883
Section 3: Contracts of work > Chapter One: Muqawala (contract to make a thing or to perform a task) > Part 2: Effects of a muqawala > 1- Obligations of the contractor
This law is repealed. The article applies to contracts dated before 1 June 2026; later contracts fall under the 2025 Civil Transactions Law.
English translation
No claim for compensation shall be heard after the expiration of three years from the collapse or the discovery of the defect. 2- Obligations of the employer
Official translation, as published by the portal.
Official Arabic text
لا تسمع دعوى الضمان بعد انقضاء ثلاث سنوات على حصول التهدم أو اكتشاف العيب. 2 - التزامات صاحب العمل:
What it means when you sign
This article sets a time limit on claims of this kind. A claim for compensation is not heard after three years have passed from the collapse or from the discovery of the defect. The text of the article as stored ends with a stray heading about the obligations of the employer, which is a section title and not part of the rule.
When you are about to sign a construction or works contract, this article means that the three years run from the collapse or from discovering the defect, so the date a problem appears or is found matters. A contract clause on notice of defects, the period for bringing claims, or limitation periods may be read against this three-year limit. The clauses to look at are those on defects liability, claims procedures and any stated deadlines for raising problems. It is also worth noting that the article speaks of claims not being heard after the period, so the timing of a claim is something to track from the date of discovery.
Not yet cited in a Fahm report; shown because it sits in the same chapter as one that is.
Related articles
- Article 876This article says who supplies the additional equipment and tools needed to complete a job under a contract to make a thing or perform a task.
- Article 877Cited in Fahm reportsThis article requires the contractor to complete the work in accordance with the conditions of the contract.
- Article 878This article makes the contractor liable for any loss or damage resulting from the contractor's own act or work, whether or not it came about through the contractor's wrongful act or default.
- Article 879This article deals with a contractor who holds property while waiting to be paid.
- Article 880Cited in Fahm reportsThis article covers buildings and other fixed installations where an architect makes the plans and the contractor carries them out under the architect's supervision.
- Article 881This article deals with an architect whose work is limited to making the plans and does not include supervising how they are carried out.