Article 10 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 10 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الثالث: تسجيل السفينة
Article 10 requires, for a ship to be registered, that the Authority or a delegated approved classification society inspect, survey and measure it and assess its tonnage, after the ownership document is submitted.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يشترط لتسجيل السفينة فحصها ومعاينتها وقياسها وتقدير حمولتها من قبل الهيئة أو من تفوضه من إحدى هيئات التصنيف المحلية أو الدولية المعتمدة بعد تقديم وثيقة ملكيتها.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 10 explained in plain English
This article sets technical requirements that must be met before a ship is registered:
- Inspection.
- Survey.
- Measurement.
- Assessment of tonnage.
Who carries them out?
- The Authority, which under Article 1 is the Public Transport Authority, or
- a party the Authority delegates from among the approved local or international classification societies.
The sequence: these procedures take place after the ship's ownership document is submitted. That is, the owner first submits proof of ownership, then the ship is inspected and measured.
The practical meaning is that registration does not rest on paperwork alone, but on actual verification of the ship's condition, dimensions and tonnage. Under Article 1, gross tonnage is the overall volume of the ship, measured in accordance with the 1969 International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships and its amendments.
The article does not specify the inspection criteria or results, or what happens if the ship does not meet the technical requirements. Anyone registering a ship can consult a lawyer specializing in commercial cases.
Practical example
An investor bought a cargo ship in Dammam and wants to register it. He first submits its ownership document, then the Authority, or an approved classification society it delegates, inspects it, surveys it and measures its tonnage.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 10 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What is required before a ship is registered?
Inspecting it, surveying it, measuring it and assessing its tonnage, after submitting its ownership document.
Who inspects the ship for registration?
The Authority or a party it delegates from among the approved local or international classification societies.
More articles on Registration of Ships and Maritime Units
- Article 7
Article 7 bars a self-propelled ship from sailing under the Kingdom's flag without registration, refers the procedures to the regulations, and exempts specific vessels by length, tonnage and type.
1- لا يجوز لأي سفينة ذاتية الدفع أن تبحر رافعة علم المملكة إلاَّ إذا كانت مسجلة وفقاً لأحكام هذا النظام, وتحدد اللوائح إجراءات التسجيل وشروطه, وإصدار الشهادة. 2
- Article 8
Article 8 regulates ship registration offices approved by the Chairman, the ship register and its entries, the registration record and its publication and announcement at the owner's expense, and registration fees.
1- تسجل السفن في مكاتب التسجيل المعتمدة بقرار من الرئيس في أيٍّ من موانئ المملكة. 2- ينشأ في كل مكتب من مكاتب التسجيل سجل خاص يسمى (سجل السفن)، ترقم صفحاته، وتخ
- Article 9
Article 9 bars a ship from sailing under the flag of more than one state, registering a ship already registered in another state before its deletion, and changing flag while sailing or stopped except for a transfer of ownership or registration change.
1- لا يجوز للسفينة أن تبحر، وهي رافعة علم أكثر من دولة. 2- لا يجوز أن تسجل سفينة في سجل السفن إذا كانت مسجلة في سجل سفن دولة أخرى، ما لم تكن قد شطبت من ذلك السج
- Article 11
Article 11 requires every Saudi ship to have a name, written at its bow and stern in clear Arabic and Latin letters with its port of registration, and bars the same name for more than one ship in the Kingdom.
أ- يجب على كل سفينة سعودية أن تتخذ لها اسماً، ويجب أن يكتب اسمها على مقدمتها من الجانبين وعلى مؤخرتها بحروف عربية ولاتينية ظاهرة وبلون مختلف عن لونها، ويجب كذلك
- Article 12
Article 12 empowers the registration office to issue a temporary registration certificate valid for one or more voyages, or for six months renewable for up to two years.
يصدر مكتب التسجيل شهادة تسجيل مؤقتة للسفينة، تكون صالحة لرحلة واحدة أو أكثر، أو لمدة ستة أشهر قابلة للتجديد لمدة أقصاها سنتان.
- Article 13
Article 13 allows a Saudi to whom ownership of a ship has passed outside the Kingdom to obtain a temporary registration certificate from a registration office or a Kingdom representative office, valid for six months at most.
إذا انتقلت ملكية السفينة لسعودي خارج المملكة، وانطبقت عليها شروط التسجيل، كان لمالكها الحصول على شهادة تسجيل مؤقتة من أحد مكاتب التسجيل في المملكة أو من ممثلية
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.