Article 127 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 127 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الرابع: عقد العمل البحري
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 امتداد المدة، ولا يسري هذا الحكم الأخير على الربان إذا كان تأجيل السفر أو إطالته ناشئاً عن خطئه.
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 127 explained in plain English
This article protects a seafarer paid by the voyage against changes to the length of the voyage caused by someone else:
- Shortening the voyage: if the voyage is shortened by the act of the shipowner or the master, the wage may not be reduced.
- Lengthening or postponing the voyage: if the voyage is lengthened or postponed because of an act of the shipowner or the master, the wage increases in proportion to the extension of the period.
Exception for the master: the master does not benefit from the wage increase if the postponement or lengthening of the voyage results from his own fault; he should not benefit from his own fault.
Note that these provisions apply only where the change is by the act of the shipowner or the master. A change due to other causes is not addressed by this article.
This article follows Article 126, which requires the employer to pay wages at the time and place specified in the contract or by maritime custom. Article 128 deals with the rights of a seafarer's heirs if he dies during the voyage, depending on how his wage is calculated. A seafarer who believes his wage was not calculated under these rules is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in maritime law.
Practical example
A seafarer contracts for a wage of SAR 12,000 for a one-month voyage, then the shipowner decides to add a port, lengthening the voyage to a month and a half. The seafarer's wage increases in proportion to the extension of the period and becomes SAR 18,000.
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 127 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Is a seafarer's wage reduced if the voyage is shortened?
A wage fixed by the voyage may not be reduced if the voyage is shortened by the act of the shipowner or the master.
Does a seafarer's wage increase if the voyage is longer?
Yes. If the lengthening or postponement results from an act of the shipowner or the master, the wage increases in proportion to the extension of the period.
Is the master entitled to an increase if the voyage is delayed by his fault?
No. The increase does not apply to the master if the postponement or lengthening results from his own fault.
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 126
The employer must pay seafarers' wages at the time and place specified in the contract, or those required by maritime custom.
يلتزم صاحب العمل بأداء أجور البحارة في الزمان والمكان المحددين في العقد، أو اللذين يقضي بهما العرف البحري.
- 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.