Maritime Employment Contract Regulation

Purpose and scope

• Regulates maritime employment and seafarers' working conditions on ships, marine units and platforms, supplementing the Labour Law and its Executive Regulation (Articles 2 and 3).

Key rules, rights and obligations

• No one under 18 may be employed; persons aged 16 or over may be trained (Article 4).
• Maximum work of 14 hours in any 24 hours and 72 hours in any 7 days, or minimum rest of 10 hours in any 24 hours and 77 hours in any 7 days; anything beyond counts as overtime (Article 6).
• A maritime employment contract states whether hiring is for a fixed term, one voyage or several voyages; it is made in three copies and registered electronically on the ministry platform, and it exists even if not written (Article 7).
• Annual leave of at least 30 days, or two and a half days per month of service under voyage contracts (Article 15).
• Pay may not be cut because of a transfer between ships or jobs with the same operator; overtime is paid at the hourly wage plus 50% of the basic wage (Article 16).
• A seafarer may be repatriated at no cost after 11 consecutive months of work, when the contract ends, or when it is terminated for a reason not attributable to the seafarer (Article 17).

Violations, penalties and common problems

• A seafarer is abandoned if the operator fails to pay repatriation costs, leaves the seafarer without care and support, deliberately terminates the contract without consent, or fails to pay wages for two months or more (Article 19).
• The operator or master may impose discipline only within Labour Law limits; a seafarer's clothing and work tools cannot be seized (Article 29).
• The schedule of violations and penalties is issued by ministerial decision (Article 37).

Procedures and key deadlines

• A seafarer is notified of a penalty in writing and may object within 15 days (Article 29).
• Seafarers may complain on board under a procedure set by the operator, with the right to be assisted and protected from retaliation (Article 34).
• The ministry receives complaints and seeks amicable settlement; an interested party may appeal decisions to the committee within 60 days of issuance (Article 36).

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.