Article 136 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 136 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الرابع: عقد العمل البحري
If force majeure prevents the voyage from starting or continuing, a seaman hired for the voyage is entitled to pay for the days he actually served on the ship, with no award or compensation.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا حالت قوة قاهرة دون البدء في السفر أو دون مواصلته استحق البحار المعين بالرحلة أجرة عن الأيام التي قضاها فعلاً في خدمة السفينة، ولا يجوز له المطالبة بأي مكافأة أو تعويض.
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 136 explained in plain English
This article addresses the effect of force majeure on the rights of a seaman hired for the voyage.
If force majeure prevents:
- the voyage from starting, or
- it from continuing after it has begun,
the seaman is entitled only to pay for the days he actually served on the ship, and he may not claim any award or compensation.
The reasoning is that force majeure is an event the employer had no hand in, so the employer is not made to pay compensation for it, but the seaman is not deprived of payment for the days he actually worked.
Note that the rule is specific to a seaman hired for the voyage, and that pay is measured by the days actually served on the ship, not by the agreed length of the voyage.
Article 135 prevents the master from requiring a dismissed seaman to leave the ship in a foreign port except with written permission from the Kingdom's representative office.
The article does not define force majeure. Article 137 governs the case where the ship sinks, is confiscated or is lost. A seaman whose voyage has stopped and who disagrees with the employer about the cause is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in maritime law.
Practical example
A seaman contracted for a voyage at a lump-sum wage, and ten days into the journey the sea lanes were closed by circumstances amounting to force majeure and the voyage stopped. The seaman is entitled to pay for the ten days he actually served on the ship, and cannot claim an award or compensation.
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 136 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What is a seaman entitled to if the voyage is cancelled due to force majeure?
If he was hired for the voyage, he is entitled to pay for the days he actually served on the ship.
Can a seaman claim compensation when a voyage stops because of force majeure?
No, he may not claim any award or compensation.
More articles on Maritime Employment Contract and Seafarer Rights
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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.