Commercial Maritime Law

Purpose and scope

• Applies to Saudi ships and foreign ships calling at the Kingdom's ports or maritime zones (Article 2); a ship is treated as movable property except for acquisition by possession (Article 3).

Key rules, rights and obligations

• Anyone concerned may object to a ship's registration within ninety days of publication of the registration record (Article 14).
• An arresting creditor must sue for the debt and validity of the arrest within eight days of delivering the arrest record to the master, or the arrest lapses (Article 79), and the debtor may appeal the validity judgment within fifteen days of notice (Article 80).
• The employer must treat a seafarer free of charge for injury or illness in the ship's service (Article 130), and the seafarer receives full wages during the voyage (Article 131).
• The carrier is liable for loss, damage or delay of goods while in its custody, and the claimant may treat goods as lost if not delivered within sixty days after the delivery time (Article 210).

Violations, penalties and common problems

• Flying the Saudi flag on an unregistered ship or obliterating a ship's particulars: a fine of one hundred thousand to one million riyals, with possible confiscation (Article 373); further penalties cover safety and pollution breaches (Articles 374 to 377).

Procedures and key deadlines

• Time bars: hidden defects on sale of a ship one year from discovery (Article 34); shipowner liability two years from the act (Article 98); maritime employment twelve months from the end of the relationship (Article 138).
• Carriage of goods by sea two years from delivery or due delivery, interrupted by a registered letter, delivery of claim documents or appointment of an expert (Article 221); passengers two years (Article 240); collision two years from the incident (Article 258); salvage two years (Article 269).
• Marine insurance claims two years (Article 325); towage and pilotage two years from the end of the operation (Articles 367 and 372).

An advisory summary prepared by Al-Bayan Al-Wadih Law Firm. It is not an official text and does not replace the law, its implementing regulations, or advice from a specialised lawyer. The official published text and its amendments prevail.