Article 140 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 140 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الرابع: عقد العمل البحري
The regulations determine the conditions and qualifications required of the master, officers, marine engineers and seamen, and their number on the ship.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تحدد اللوائح الشروط والمؤهلات التي يجب توافرها في الربان والضباط والمهندسين البحريين والبحارة, وعددهم على السفينة.
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 140 explained in plain English
This article refers to the Implementing Regulations the determination of two matters relating to the ship's crew:
- The conditions and qualifications required of:
- The master.
- The officers.
- The marine engineers.
- The seamen.
- Their number on the ship.
The article does not itself set these conditions or the number, but leaves them to the regulations, which under Article 1 are the Implementing Regulations of the Law. Anyone who wants to know the qualifications required for a maritime job, or the minimum crew required for a particular ship, should therefore refer to those regulations.
The purpose is to ensure that those working on the ship are qualified and that the crew is large enough to operate it safely. Article 1 defines the master as the person qualified to command the ship and responsible for its management.
Article 141 provides that, in matters on which the Law has no provision, the provisions of the labor law in force in the Kingdom apply to the maritime employment contract. Ship operators and those wishing to work at sea are advised to consult the Authority, and a lawyer specializing in maritime law when needed.
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 140 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Who determines the qualifications of a ship's master and seamen?
They are determined by the Implementing Regulations of the Law.
Does the Law determine the number of crew on a ship?
The article refers the determination of their number to the regulations.
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.