Article 114 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 114 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الثاني: الربان
The master and seafarers may not load goods for their own account without the shipowner's permission; a violator pays double the freight, and the master may throw the goods overboard if they endanger safety or entail fines or expenses.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز للربان أو لأحد البحارة شحن بضاعة في السفينة لحسابه الخاص إلا بإذن من المجهز، ويترتب على مخالفة هذا الحظر إلزام المخالف بأن يدفع للمجهز ضعف أجرة نقل البضائع التي شحنت. وللربان أن يأمر بإلقاء هذه البضاعة في البحر إذا كانت تهدد سلامة السفينة أو الأشخاص الذين عليها أو الشحنة، أو تستلزم أداء غرامات أو نفقات بعد أن يكون قد أبلغه البحار بضرورة إخراجها.
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 114 explained in plain English
This article prohibits the master and seafarers from using the ship for their own trade without permission.
First: the prohibition. Neither the master nor any seafarer may load goods on the ship for his own account except with the shipowner's permission.
Second: the penalty for violation. The violator must pay the shipowner double the freight for the goods loaded.
Third: throwing the goods overboard. The master may order these goods thrown into the sea if they:
- Endanger the safety of the ship, the persons on board or the cargo, or
- Entail the payment of fines or expenses.
This applies after the seafarer has been told that the goods must be removed.
The purpose of the prohibition is to prevent conflicts of interest, since the ship is dedicated to the shipowner's business, and to protect safety from unknown goods that did not go through loading procedures. This article follows Article 113, which prevents the master from selling the ship without special authorization from its owner. Anyone facing a claim arising from this prohibition is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in maritime law.
Practical example
A seafarer loads boxes of goods for himself on a cargo ship without the permission of the shipowning company. The company can require him to pay double the freight for these boxes, and if they endanger the ship's safety, the master, after telling the seafarer they must be removed, may order them thrown into the sea.
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 114 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
May a seafarer load goods on the ship for his own account?
No, except with the shipowner's permission.
What is the penalty for loading goods for one's own account without permission?
The violator must pay the shipowner double the freight for the goods loaded.
When may these goods be thrown into the sea?
If they endanger the safety of the ship, those on board or the cargo, or entail fines or expenses, after the seafarer has been told that they must be removed.
More articles on The Master: Authority and Duties
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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.