Article 106 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 106 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الثاني: الربان
If a crime is committed on the ship, the master gathers evidence and makes urgent inquiries until the authorities arrive, may detain the accused and preserve evidence, then hands over a report and seized items at the first Saudi port.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- إذا وقعت جريمة على متن السفينة تولى الربان -إلى حين وصول السلطات المختصة- جمع الاستدلالات وإجراء التحريات التي لا تحتمل التأخير، وله عند الاقتضاء أن يأمر بالتحفظ على المتهم، وأن يتخذ التدابير اللازمة للمحافظة على الأشياء التي قد تفيد في إثبات الجريمة.
2- يحرر الربان تقريراً بالإجراءات التي اتخذها، ويسلم هذا التقرير مرافقاً له محضر جمع الاستدلالات، والأشياء المضبوطة إلى الجهة المختصة في أول ميناء يصل إليه من موانئ المملكة.
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 106 explained in plain English
This article governs the master's role when a crime is committed on board. It is a temporary role that lasts until the competent authorities arrive.
First: what the master does.
- Gather preliminary evidence and carry out inquiries that cannot be delayed.
- Order the detention of the accused where necessary.
- Take the measures needed to preserve items that may help prove the crime.
Second: the report and the handover. The master prepares a report of the steps taken and delivers it, with the record of the evidence gathered and the items seized, to the competent authority at the first of the Kingdom's ports that the ship reaches.
Note that the master's powers here are limited to what cannot wait. The master does not replace the investigating authorities or the courts, but preserves the situation and the evidence until the competent authority takes over.
This is linked to Article 107, which makes the master the shipowner's agent and representative before the courts. Anyone involved in a criminal incident on a ship is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases.
Practical example
A theft occurs in a passenger's cabin on a ferry bound for the port of Duba. The master gathers the urgent information, detains the suspect where necessary, preserves anything that may prove the incident, and hands the report and the seized items to the competent authority on arrival.
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 106 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What does the master do if a crime is committed on the ship?
The master gathers preliminary evidence and makes inquiries that cannot be delayed until the competent authorities arrive, and may detain the accused and preserve evidence.
To whom does the master hand the report on the crime?
To the competent authority at the first of the Kingdom's ports the ship reaches, together with the record of the evidence gathered and the items seized.
More articles on The Master: Authority and Duties
- Article 100
The ship's operator appoints and dismisses the master, and a dismissed master is entitled to compensation where warranted under the general rules.
يعين مجهز السفينة الربان ويعزله، وللربان في حالة عزله الحق في التعويض إن كان له مقتضى وفقاً للقواعد العامة.
- Article 101
The master alone commands the ship and directs the voyage, the next officer replaces him on his death or absence, and he must observe technical standards, conventions and maritime custom and maintain the ship's seaworthiness and the sufficiency of supplies.
1- للربان وحده قيادة السفينة، وإدارة الرحلة البحرية، ويقوم الضابط الذي يليه مباشرة في الدرجة مقامه في حالة وفاته أو غيابه أو وجود مانع آخر. 2- يجب على الربان أن
- Article 102
The master may not give up command of the ship until it reaches port, and may not leave it or order it abandoned except in the face of certain danger after consulting its officers, saving money, papers and the most valuable cargo where possible.
1- لا يجوز للربان أن يتخلى عن قيادة السفينة حتى وصول السفينة إلى الميناء. 2- لا يجوز للربان أن يغادر السفينة، أو أن يأمر بتركها إلا بسبب خطرٍ محقق وبعد أخذ رأي
- Article 103
The master must personally command the ship when entering and leaving ports, passing through waterways and whenever special obstacles confront navigation, even if he is obliged to use a pilot.
على الربان أن يتولى بنفسه قيادة السفينة عند دخولها الموانئ، أو خروجها منها أو أثناء اجتياز الممرات البحرية، وكذلك في جميع الأحوال التي تعترض الملاحة عقبات خاصة،
- Article 104
The master has the authority to notarize on the ship, and over those on board the powers needed to preserve order and the security of the ship, passengers and cargo and the safety of the voyage, and to impose disciplinary penalties in accordance with the regulations.
تكون للربان سلطة التوثيق على السفينة، كما تكون له على الأشخاص الذين على السفينة السلطات التي يقتضيها حفظ النظام وأمن السفينة والركاب والبضائع المشحونة بها وسلام
- Article 105
The master records births and deaths in the official logbook and follows the civil status rules, inventories a deceased person's belongings with an officer and hands them over at the first Saudi port, and may put off a person with a contagious disease at the nearest port.
1- إذا حدثت ولادة أو وفاة أثناء السفر وجب على الربان إثبات هذه الوقائع في دفتر الوقائع الرسمي للسفينة، واتباع الإجراءات المنصوص عليها في الأنظمة الخاصة بالأحوال
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.