Article 129 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 129 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الرابع: عقد العمل البحري
A seafarer's wage may not be attached or assigned except within the limits set out in the labor law.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز الحجز على أجر البحار أو التنازل عنه إلا في الحدود المبينة في نظام العمل.
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 129 explained in plain English
This article protects the seafarer's wage from two things:
- Attachment by the seafarer's creditors.
- Assignment by the seafarer himself to another person.
The rule is prohibition, and neither is permitted except within the limits set out in the labor law. The article sets no limits of its own but refers to the labor law for the percentage or the cases in which attachment or assignment is allowed. The article does not state these limits, so the labor law is consulted directly.
The purpose of the protection is that the wage is the livelihood of the seafarer and his family, so it should not be taken from him entirely because of debts or assignments.
This article is among the provisions on the maritime employment contract. It follows Article 128, which sets out the rights of a seafarer's heirs in his wage if he dies during the voyage, and precedes Article 130, which requires the employer to treat a seafarer free of charge if he is injured while in the ship's service. Anyone facing an attachment on his wage is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in maritime law.
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 129 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Can a seafarer's wage be attached?
Not except within the limits set out in the labor law.
Can a seafarer assign his wage to someone else?
An assignment is not permitted except within the limits set out in the labor law.
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 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
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.