Article 17 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 17 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الثالث: تسجيل السفينة
The article regulates issuing a replacement certificate for a lost or damaged ship registration certificate, a temporary certificate if it is lost outside the Kingdom, and the owner's right to transfer registration to another office.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- إذا فقدت شهادة تسجيل السفينة أو تلفت، يصدر المكتب الذي سجلت فيه السفينة شهادة تسجيل (بدل مفقود) أو (تالف) بناء على طلب يقدمه مالكها أو من ينوب عنه موضحةً فيه أسباب الفقد أو التلف وظروفه.
2- إذا فقدت شهادة التسجيل خارج المملكة، يصدر المكتب الذي سجلت فيه السفينة أو ممثلية المملكة في الدولة التي فيها السفينة شهادة تسجيل مؤقتة لا تزيد مدة صلاحيتها على ستة أشهر، وتنتهي بوصول السفينة إلى أول ميناء في المملكة.
3- لمالك السفينة نقل تسجيل السفينة من المكتب المسجلة فيه إلى أي مكتب تسجيل آخر معتمد في المملكة وفقاً للإجراءات 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 17 explained in plain English
1. Loss or damage: if a ship's registration certificate is lost or damaged, the office where the ship was registered issues a "replacement for lost" or "replacement for damaged" certificate, on a request from the owner or their representative stating the reasons for the loss or damage and the circumstances.
2. Loss outside the Kingdom: if the certificate is lost outside the Kingdom, the office where the ship was registered, or the Kingdom's representative mission in the country where the ship is located, issues a temporary registration certificate:
- Valid for no more than six months.
- Ending when the ship arrives at the first port in the Kingdom.
3. Transfer of registration: the ship's owner may transfer its registration from its office to any other approved registration office in the Kingdom, following the procedures that the regulations set.
In practical terms, losing the certificate during a voyage abroad does not immobilize the ship, since a temporary certificate sufficient for its return can be obtained. This matters because Article 16 requires the certificate to be kept on the ship. A person who needs a replacement or a transfer of registration can consult a lawyer specializing in commercial cases.
Practical example
The master of a Saudi ship loses its registration certificate in a foreign port. The Kingdom's representative mission there issues a temporary certificate valid for no more than six months, which ends when the ship reaches the first Saudi port.
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 17 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
How do I get a replacement for a lost ship registration certificate?
By a request from the owner or their representative to the office where the ship was registered, stating the reasons for the loss or damage and the circumstances.
What if the certificate is lost outside the Kingdom?
The registration office or the Kingdom's representative mission issues a temporary certificate valid for no more than six months, ending when the ship reaches the first port in the Kingdom.
Can a ship's registration be transferred to another office?
Yes. The ship's owner may transfer registration to any other approved office in the Kingdom, following the procedures the regulations set.
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.