Balancing Tradition and Reform — Saudi Arabia’s New Civil Transactions Law

Abstract The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ended its hitherto exceptional status as a state without a codified civil law by enacting a Civil Transactions Law as part of its broader ‘Vision 2030’ legislative reform agenda. This article explores the impact and future implications of the new law, emphasising the significant legal impetus behind the law, as the Kingdom’s strong commitment to reform can also have an effect on how its application develops through the training of judicial officials and interpretational control. Conversely, the new law remains deeply rooted in regional legal traditions, closely mirroring the civil codes of the surrounding countries, placing it in the interpretative tradition of the Sanhūrī civil codes and importing a body of commentary, court decisions and judicial personnel. The article provides an overview of this reform agenda and analyses the law’s overall structure and details of specific legal concepts, ultimately situating the Saudi law between state-driven reform and enduring legal traditions.