Article 15 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 15 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الثالث: تسجيل السفينة
The article provides for issuing a permanent registration certificate for the ship if no objection is filed in time or a final judgment rejects it, once the conditions and documents set by the regulations are met.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا لم يقدم الاعتراض خلال المدة المحددة لتقديمه، أو صدر حكم نهائي برفضه، يصدر مكتب تسجيل السفن شهادة تسجيل دائمة للسفينة بعد استيفاء جميع الشروط والمستندات اللازمة للتسجيل التي تحددها اللوائح.
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 15 explained in plain English
This article sets out when the permanent registration certificate is issued for a ship, and ties it to the fate of any objection to the registration.
The permanent certificate is issued in one of two cases:
- If no objection is filed within the period set for filing it.
- If a final judgment rejecting the objection is issued.
An additional condition: all the conditions and documents required for registration that the regulations set must be met; the article does not spell them out.
Issuing authority: the ship registration office.
This article is linked to Article 14, which gives every interested person the right to object within 90 days of publication of the registration record, with the objection suit to be filed within 15 days of lodging the objection, failing which the objection is treated as never made.
In practical terms for the owner, the permanent certificate is not issued immediately upon registration, but after the objection period passes without an objection, or after the objection is resolved by a final judgment rejecting it. If an objection is pending before the courts, issuance of the permanent certificate depends on its outcome. Anyone facing an objection to the registration of their ship can consult a lawyer specializing in commercial cases.
Practical example
A company's ship is registered in Jeddah and the registration record is published, and 90 days pass without any objection. Once the documents set by the regulations are provided, the registration office issues the permanent registration certificate.
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 15 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
When is the permanent registration certificate for a ship issued?
If no objection is filed within the set period or a final judgment rejecting it is issued, after the conditions and documents set by the regulations are met.
Is the permanent certificate issued while the objection suit is being heard?
The article ties its issuance to there being no objection within the period or to a final judgment rejecting the objection.
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.