diff --git a/arango/client.py b/arango/client.py
index 8424ddfa..7bdd6f4a 100644
--- a/arango/client.py
+++ b/arango/client.py
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ class ArangoClient:
        False: Do not verify TLS certificate.
        str: Path to a custom CA bundle file or directory.
     :type verify_override: Union[bool, str, None]
+    :param request_timeout: This is the default request timeout (in seconds)
+       for http requests issued by the client if the parameter http_client is
+       not secified. The default value is 60.
+       None: No timeout.
+       int: Timeout value in seconds.
+    :type request_timeout: Any
     """
 
     def __init__(
@@ -64,6 +70,7 @@ def __init__(
         serializer: Callable[..., str] = lambda x: dumps(x),
         deserializer: Callable[[str], Any] = lambda x: loads(x),
         verify_override: Union[bool, str, None] = None,
+        request_timeout: Any = 60,
     ) -> None:
         if isinstance(hosts, str):
             self._hosts = [host.strip("/") for host in hosts.split(",")]
@@ -80,7 +87,13 @@ def __init__(
         else:
             self._host_resolver = RoundRobinHostResolver(host_count, resolver_max_tries)
 
+        # Initializes the http client
         self._http = http_client or DefaultHTTPClient()
+        # Sets the request timeout.
+        # This call can only happen AFTER initializing the http client.
+        if http_client is None:
+            self.request_timeout = request_timeout
+
         self._serializer = serializer
         self._deserializer = deserializer
         self._sessions = [self._http.create_session(h) for h in self._hosts]
@@ -117,6 +130,20 @@ def version(self) -> str:
         version: str = get_distribution("python-arango").version
         return version
 
+    @property
+    def request_timeout(self) -> Any:
+        """Return the request timeout of the http client.
+
+        :return: Request timeout.
+        :rtype: Any
+        """
+        return self._http.REQUEST_TIMEOUT  # type: ignore
+
+    # Setter for request_timeout
+    @request_timeout.setter
+    def request_timeout(self, value: Any) -> None:
+        self._http.REQUEST_TIMEOUT = value  # type: ignore
+
     def db(
         self,
         name: str = "_system",
diff --git a/tests/test_client.py b/tests/test_client.py
index 0a170b90..1a6893b7 100644
--- a/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_client.py
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ def test_client_attributes():
     assert repr(client) == client_repr
     assert isinstance(client._host_resolver, RandomHostResolver)
 
+    client = ArangoClient(hosts=client_hosts, request_timeout=120)
+    assert client.request_timeout == client._http.REQUEST_TIMEOUT == 120
+
 
 def test_client_good_connection(db, username, password):
     client = ArangoClient(hosts="http://127.0.0.1:8529")