Article 126 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 126 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الرابع: عقد العمل البحري
The employer must pay seafarers' wages at the time and place specified in the contract, or those required by maritime custom.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يلتزم صاحب العمل بأداء أجور البحارة في الزمان والمكان المحددين في العقد، أو اللذين يقضي بهما العرف البحري.
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 126 explained in plain English
This article sets out the basic rule for paying seafarers' wages: the employer must pay them:
- At the time and place specified in the employment contract, or
- if the contract does not specify them, at the time and place required by maritime custom.
The first reference is therefore the contract, then maritime custom. This matters given the nature of maritime work, since a seafarer may be on the high seas or in a foreign port when his wage falls due, so it is best for the contract to state clearly when and where it is paid.
This article is among the provisions on the maritime employment contract that, under Article 125, apply to those working on ships making international voyages. Article 127 complements it for wages fixed by the voyage: they are not reduced if the voyage is shortened by the act of the shipowner or the master, and they increase if it is lengthened or postponed by their act.
A seafarer whose wage has been delayed beyond the due date is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in maritime law.
Practical example
A seafarer's employment contract provides for his wage to be paid at the end of each month in the port of Jeddah. The employer must pay at that time and place; had the contract not specified this, maritime custom would be the reference.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentLabour & Employment Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Labour & Employment Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Ibrahim Al Salem Law Firm
Active contributor
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Frequently asked questions about Article 126 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
When must a seafarer's wage be paid?
At the time and place specified in the contract, or those required by maritime custom.
What if the contract does not specify when the wage is paid?
Maritime custom is consulted to determine the time and place.
More articles on Maritime Employment Contract and Seafarer Rights
- Article 56
The article provides that giving the master and crew an advance or a payment on account does not make their debts referred to in paragraph (2) of Article 46 payable before their due date.
لا يترتب على تسليم الربان والبحارة وغيرهم ممن يرتبطون بعقد عمل في السفينة مبلغاً مقدماً أو على الحساب اعتبار ديونهم المشار إليها في الفقرة (2) من المادة (السادس
- Article 91
If a ship is sold compulsorily as a result of its attachment, the person to whom the auction is awarded is not bound by the employment contracts of the master or the seamen working on it.
إذا بيعت السفينة جبراً نتيجة الحجز عليها فلا يلتزم من رسا عليه المزاد بعقود عمل ربان السفينة أو البحارة الذين يعملون عليها.
- Article 114
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.
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 البض
- Article 125
The maritime employment contract provisions apply to those working on ships on international voyages, and a Saudi may not work on ships sailing outside the Kingdom's maritime areas without a maritime service record from the Authority.
1- تسري أحكام عقد العمل البحري الواردة في النظام على الأشخاص الذين يعملون على السفن التي تقوم برحلات دولية. 2- لا يجوز لمن يحملون الجنسية السعودية أن يقوموا بأي
- Article 127
A seafarer's voyage wage is not reduced if the shipowner or master shortens the voyage, and increases in proportion to the extension if they lengthen or postpone it, with no increase for the master where it was his fault.
إذا كان الأجر معيناً بالرحلة فلا يجوز تخفيضه في حالة تقصير السفر بفعل المجهز أو الربان، أما إذا نشأ عن الفعل المذكور إطالة السفر أو تأجيله فيزداد الأجر بنسبة ام
- Article 128
If a seafarer dies during the voyage, his heirs receive his wage up to the day of death if monthly, the full voyage wage if paid by the voyage, and the full share if his pay is a share in profits.
1- إذا كان أجر البحار يحسب بالشهر وتوفي أثناء الرحلة, فيكون لورثته الحق في الحصول على أجره إلى يوم وفاته. 2- إذا كان أجر البحار يحسب بالرحلة وتوفي أثناءها, فيكو
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.