Article 120 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 120 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الثالث: الوكيل الملاحي ومتعهد النقل
The shipping agent remains liable to the shipowner as a paid agent.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يبقى الوكيل الملاحي مسؤولاً أمام المجهز بوصفه وكيلاً بأجر.
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 120 explained in plain English
This article defines the nature of the shipping agent's liability in the relationship with the shipowner: the agent is liable to the shipowner as a paid agent.
Under Article 1, the shipping agent is a person who, as agent of the shipowner, carries out the work of providing what the ship needs. This article describes the agency as paid, meaning that the agent receives consideration for the work and is answerable to the shipowner on that basis.
The article does not detail the content of a paid agent's liability, but only characterizes the relationship. The agent's obligations and the extent of the liability are therefore determined by the rules governing paid agency and by what the parties agree.
Note that this article governs the agent's relationship with the shipowner. As for the relationship with shippers or consignees, it is governed by Article 121, which limits the agent's liability for loss of or damage to goods to the agent's own fault or the fault of those working for the agent. Article 119 provides that a claim by the principal against the shipping agent is not heard after two years from the date the debt falls due. In a dispute between a shipowner and the shipping agent, consulting a lawyer specializing in maritime and commercial law is advised.
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 120 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What is the nature of the shipping agent's liability to the shipowner?
The agent is liable to the shipowner as a paid agent.
Does the article set out the details of the shipping agent's obligations?
No. It only characterizes the relationship as a paid agency.
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 119
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.
لا تسمع دعوى الموكل أو صاحب العمل على الوكيل الملاحي أو متعهد النقل بعد مضي سنتين من تاريخ استحقاق الدين.
- 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.