Article 107 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 107 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الثاني: الربان
The master is the shipowner's agent and represents the owner in court in matters of the ship and the voyage; any limit on liability in that agency cannot be asserted against third parties in good faith, and the agency exists only where the owner or the owner's agent is absent.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يكون الربان وكيلاً عن المجهز، ويمثله أمام القضاء، وتشمل الوكالة الأعمال اللازمة للسفينة والرحلة، وكل تحديد للمسؤولية يرد على هذه الوكالة لا يحتج به على الغير حسن النية، ويمارس الربان السلطات التي يقررها له النظام قِبَل من له مصلحة في السفينة أو الشحنة.
2- لا تثبت للربان صفة الوكيل عن المجهز إلا في المكان الذي ليس فيه المجهز أو وكيل عنه، ولا يحتج بوجود المجهز أو وكيله قِبَل الغير إلا إذا كان هذا الغير يعلم ذلك.
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 107 explained in plain English
This article governs the master's capacity as the shipowner's agent.
First: the content of the agency.
- The master is the shipowner's agent and represents the owner before the courts.
- The agency covers the acts needed for the ship and the voyage.
- Any limitation of liability placed on this agency cannot be asserted against third parties in good faith.
- The master exercises the powers the Law gives toward anyone with an interest in the ship or the cargo.
Second: when the agency applies. The master has the capacity of agent only in a place where neither the shipowner nor an agent of the owner is present. Even so, the presence of the owner or the owner's agent cannot be asserted against a third party unless the third party knew of it.
This is linked to Article 108, which requires the master to follow the shipowner's instructions in commercial functions. Anyone contracting with a ship's master is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in maritime and commercial law.
Practical example
A foreign ship calls at a port where the shipowner has no office and no agent, and the master contracts with a local company for an urgent repair. The company is dealing with the shipowner's agent, and no limit on liability in that agency can be asserted against it if it acted in good faith.
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 107 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Does a ship's master represent the shipowner before the courts?
Yes. The master is the shipowner's agent and represents the owner before the courts in the acts needed for the ship and the voyage.
When is the master not the shipowner's agent?
The master has the capacity of agent only in a place where neither the shipowner nor an agent of the owner is present, and their presence cannot be asserted against a third party unless the third party knew of it.
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.