Article 119 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 119 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الثالث: الوكيل الملاحي ومتعهد النقل
A claim by the principal or employer against the shipping agent or transport contractor is not heard after two years from the date the debt falls due.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا تسمع دعوى الموكل أو صاحب العمل على الوكيل الملاحي أو متعهد النقل بعد مضي سنتين من تاريخ استحقاق الدين.
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 119 explained in plain English
This article sets the period for hearing a claim brought against the shipping agent or transport contractor:
- Who brings the claim? The principal or the employer.
- Against whom? The shipping agent or the transport contractor.
- The period: two years.
- Its start: from the date the debt falls due.
If two years pass from the date the debt falls due without a claim being brought, it is not heard.
Note that the article deals with the claim in one direction only: that of the principal or employer against the agent or contractor. For a claim by the shipping agent or transport contractor against the principal or employer, Article 118 sets out the procedure and the court before which it may be brought, and this article sets no period for it.
The purpose of this period is stability of dealings in shipping, where operations are many and fast. A shipowner or goods owner who believes he has a right against his shipping agent or transport contractor should therefore claim promptly. Consulting a lawyer specializing in maritime and commercial law before the period ends is advised.
Practical example
A shipowning company has been owed an amount by its shipping agent in Jeddah since January 2025. If it wants to sue him, it must bring the claim before January 2027, otherwise it will not be heard.
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 119 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What is the time limit for suing a shipping agent?
Two years from the date the debt falls due.
Does this period apply to the agent's claim against the shipowner?
No. The article concerns only the claim of the principal or employer against the shipping agent or transport contractor.
More articles on Shipping Agent and Carriage Contractor
- Article 117
Contracts and acts carried out by the shipping agent and the transport contractor are governed by the laws of the country in which those contracts or acts are made.
تخضع العقود والأعمال التي يجريها الوكيل الملاحي ومتعهد النقل لأنظمة الدولة التي تُجرى فيها هذه العقود أو الأعمال.
- Article 118
A claim by the shipping agent or transport contractor against the principal or the employer is brought under the Law of Sharia Procedure, and may be brought before the court of the agent's or contractor's domicile.
تقام دعوى الوكيل الملاحي أو متعهد النقل على الموكل أو صاحب العمل وفق نظام المرافعات الشرعية، ويجوز أن تقام أمام المحكمة التي يقع في نطاق اختصاصها موطن الوكيل أو
- Article 120
The shipping agent remains liable to the shipowner as a paid agent.
يبقى الوكيل الملاحي مسؤولاً أمام المجهز بوصفه وكيلاً بأجر.
- Article 121
The shipping agent is liable to shippers or consignees for loss of or damage to goods when loaded or unloaded only for the agent's own fault or the fault of those working for the agent.
لا يسأل الوكيل الملاحي من قبل الشاحنين أو المرسل إليهم عن هلاك أو تلف البضائع التي يتسلمها لشحنها في السفينة أو التي يتولى تفريغها منها لتسليمها لأصحابها إلا عن
- Article 122
The cargo agent must preserve the rights of the goods' owners against the carrier; otherwise the agent is presumed to have received the goods in the condition and quantity stated in the bill of lading, unless the contrary is proved by an official record.
يجب على وكيل الشحنة اتخاذ الإجراءات والتدابير اللازمة للمحافظة على حقوق أصحاب الشأن في البضاعة قِبَل الناقل أو متعهد النقل، وإلا افترض أنّ الوكيل تسلم البضاعة ف
- Article 123
The transport contractor carries out loading or unloading for the account of the person who engaged him, is answerable only to that person, and is liable for his own fault or the fault of those working for him in this work.
1- يقوم متعهد النقل بالشحن أو التفريغ لحساب من كلفه بالقيام به، ولا يسأل في هذا الشأن إلا قِبَل هذا الشخص الذي يكون له وحده إقامة دعوى عليه. 2- يسأل متعهد النقل
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.