Article 13 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 13 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الثالث: تسجيل السفينة
Article 13 allows a Saudi to whom ownership of a ship has passed outside the Kingdom to obtain a temporary registration certificate from a registration office or a Kingdom representative office, valid for six months at most.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا انتقلت ملكية السفينة لسعودي خارج المملكة، وانطبقت عليها شروط التسجيل، كان لمالكها الحصول على شهادة تسجيل مؤقتة من أحد مكاتب التسجيل في المملكة أو من ممثلية المملكة لدى الدولة التي نقلت فيها ملكية السفينة، فإن لم تكن في هذه الدولة ممثلية للمملكة ففي أقرب دولة إليها تكون فيها ممثلية، ويسري مفعول هذه الشهادة لمدة أقصاها ستة أشهر، ويبطل مفعولها بمجرد وصول السفينة إلى أول ميناء في المملكة فيه مكتب تسجيل.
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 13 explained in plain English
This article addresses the case of a Saudi who buys a ship, or to whom ownership of it passes, outside the Kingdom, and who wants to sail it to the Kingdom before permanent registration.
The conditions: ownership has passed to a Saudi outside the Kingdom, and the registration conditions apply to the ship.
The issuing body: the owner may obtain a temporary registration certificate from:
- one of the registration offices in the Kingdom, or
- the Kingdom's representative office in the state where ownership was transferred, or, if there is no representative office there, in the nearest state to it where there is one.
Period of validity: six months at most.
End of effect: the certificate becomes void as soon as the ship arrives at the first port in the Kingdom that has a registration office, even before the six months have passed.
The practical meaning is that the certificate is a temporary means of bringing the ship to the Kingdom, as it ceases to have effect at the first Saudi port with a registration office. Anyone buying a ship from abroad can consult a lawyer specializing in commercial or international cases.
Practical example
A Saudi businessman bought a ship in a port in an Asian country. He obtained a temporary registration certificate from the Kingdom's representative office there, and when the ship arrived at the port of Dammam, which has a registration office, the certificate ceased to have effect.
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 13 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
How can I sail a ship I bought outside the Kingdom?
If you are a Saudi and the registration conditions apply to the ship, you can obtain a temporary registration certificate from a registration office in the Kingdom or from the Kingdom's representative office.
What if there is no Saudi representative office in the country?
The certificate is issued by the Kingdom's representative office in the nearest state to it where there is one.
When does the temporary certificate end?
After six months at most, or as soon as the ship arrives at the first port in the Kingdom that has a registration office.
More articles on Registration of Ships and Maritime Units
- Article 7
Article 7 bars a self-propelled ship from sailing under the Kingdom's flag without registration, refers the procedures to the regulations, and exempts specific vessels by length, tonnage and type.
1- لا يجوز لأي سفينة ذاتية الدفع أن تبحر رافعة علم المملكة إلاَّ إذا كانت مسجلة وفقاً لأحكام هذا النظام, وتحدد اللوائح إجراءات التسجيل وشروطه, وإصدار الشهادة. 2
- Article 8
Article 8 regulates ship registration offices approved by the Chairman, the ship register and its entries, the registration record and its publication and announcement at the owner's expense, and registration fees.
1- تسجل السفن في مكاتب التسجيل المعتمدة بقرار من الرئيس في أيٍّ من موانئ المملكة. 2- ينشأ في كل مكتب من مكاتب التسجيل سجل خاص يسمى (سجل السفن)، ترقم صفحاته، وتخ
- Article 9
Article 9 bars a ship from sailing under the flag of more than one state, registering a ship already registered in another state before its deletion, and changing flag while sailing or stopped except for a transfer of ownership or registration change.
1- لا يجوز للسفينة أن تبحر، وهي رافعة علم أكثر من دولة. 2- لا يجوز أن تسجل سفينة في سجل السفن إذا كانت مسجلة في سجل سفن دولة أخرى، ما لم تكن قد شطبت من ذلك السج
- Article 10
Article 10 requires, for a ship to be registered, that the Authority or a delegated approved classification society inspect, survey and measure it and assess its tonnage, after the ownership document is submitted.
يشترط لتسجيل السفينة فحصها ومعاينتها وقياسها وتقدير حمولتها من قبل الهيئة أو من تفوضه من إحدى هيئات التصنيف المحلية أو الدولية المعتمدة بعد تقديم وثيقة ملكيتها.
- Article 11
Article 11 requires every Saudi ship to have a name, written at its bow and stern in clear Arabic and Latin letters with its port of registration, and bars the same name for more than one ship in the Kingdom.
أ- يجب على كل سفينة سعودية أن تتخذ لها اسماً، ويجب أن يكتب اسمها على مقدمتها من الجانبين وعلى مؤخرتها بحروف عربية ولاتينية ظاهرة وبلون مختلف عن لونها، ويجب كذلك
- Article 12
Article 12 empowers the registration office to issue a temporary registration certificate valid for one or more voyages, or for six months renewable for up to two years.
يصدر مكتب التسجيل شهادة تسجيل مؤقتة للسفينة، تكون صالحة لرحلة واحدة أو أكثر، أو لمدة ستة أشهر قابلة للتجديد لمدة أقصاها سنتان.
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.