Article 141 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 141 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الرابع: عقد العمل البحري
In matters on which the Commercial Maritime Law has no provision, the provisions of the labor law in force in the Kingdom apply to the maritime employment contract.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
فيما لم يرد في شأنه نص في النظام, تسري على عقد العمل البحري الأحكام الواردة في نظام العمل المعمول به في المملكة.
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 141 explained in plain English
This article sets the fallback source for the maritime employment contract. The Commercial Maritime Law governs the maritime employment contract with special provisions, but it does not cover every matter. Where it has no provision, the provisions of the labor law in force in the Kingdom apply.
In practice this means:
- If the Commercial Maritime Law has a special provision, it applies first.
- If it has no provision, reference is made to the Labor Law.
Under Article 1, the maritime employment contract is the contract concluded between the owner of the ship, its operator or a representative of either, and any person to work on board the ship for a wage. The seaman is a worker, but his work has a special nature that called for separate provisions, with the rest completed by the general rules of the Labor Law.
This article does not list the matters the Labor Law deals with, so one refers to it directly to find out. It follows Article 140, which refers to the regulations the conditions and qualifications of the master, officers, marine engineers and seamen, and their number on the ship. A seaman or employer facing a question on which the maritime law has no provision 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 141 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Does the Labor Law apply to seamen?
Yes, in matters on which the Commercial Maritime Law has no provision, the provisions of the labor law in force in the Kingdom apply to the maritime employment contract.
Which applies first to a seaman: the maritime law or the Labor Law?
The special provisions of the Commercial Maritime Law first, then the provisions of the Labor Law in matters on which it has no provision.
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.