Article 181 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 181 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الرابع: عقد النقل البحري : أولاً: أحكام عامة
The carrier issues the bill of lading at the shipper's request on receiving the goods, and may give a receipt before loading to be replaced by a bill once the goods are on board; the receipt has the bill's force if it contains the Article 182 particulars.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يصدر الناقل سند شحن بناء على طلب الشاحن عند تسلم البضائع.
2- يجوز للناقل أن يسلم الشاحن إيصالاً بتسلم البضائع قبل شحنها في السفينة, ويستبدل بهذا الإيصال -بناء على طلب الشاحن- سند شحن بعد وضع البضائع في السفينة, ويكون للإيصال الحجية المقررة لسند الشحن إذا اشتمل على البيانات المحددة في المادة (الثانية والثمانين بعد المائة) من النظام.
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 181 explained in plain English
This article regulates the issue of the bill of lading, which under Article 1 is a document issued by the carrier at the shipper's request on receiving the goods, setting out the particulars and terms of carriage.
First: issuing the bill. The carrier issues the bill of lading at the shipper's request and on receiving the goods.
Second: the receipt before loading. The carrier may receive the goods before they are placed on the ship, in which case it may:
- Give the shipper a receipt for the goods before they are loaded.
- Then, at the shipper's request, replace this receipt with a bill of lading after the goods have been placed on the ship.
Third: the force of the receipt. The receipt has the force given to a bill of lading if it contains the particulars specified in Article 182, including: the names and addresses of the carrier, the shipper and the consignee, the description of the goods as recorded by the shipper, the names of the ship and the master, the ports of loading and discharge, the freight, the place and date of issue and the number of copies, and a statement on deck loading.
It is preceded by Article 180, which provides that the sale of the ship does not cancel the contract of carriage by sea. A shipper who needs a document proving delivery of its goods is advised to ask for the receipt or the bill, and to consult a lawyer specialized in maritime and commercial law in the event of a dispute.
Practical example
An exporter in Dammam delivered its goods to a shipping company at the port before the ship arrived, and the company gave it a receipt. After the goods were loaded on the ship, the exporter asked for the receipt to be replaced with a bill of lading. Before that, the receipt had the force of a bill because it contained the required particulars.
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 181 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
When is the bill of lading issued?
The carrier issues it at the shipper's request on receiving the goods.
Does a receipt for goods have legal value?
It has the force given to a bill of lading if it contains the particulars specified in Article 182.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Carriage of Goods by Sea and the Bill of Lading
- Article 115
If the master must repair the ship during the voyage, the shipper may wait or take out the goods while paying full freight, with no increase in freight; if repair is not possible, the master hires a substitute ship at his own expense.
1- إذا اضطر الربان إلى إصلاح السفينة أثناء السفر، كان للمستأجر أو الشاحن الخيار بين الانتظار حتى إتمام إصلاح السفينة أو إخراج بضائعه منها، وفي هذه الحالة الأخير
- Article 121
The shipping agent is liable to shippers or consignees for loss of or damage to goods when loaded or unloaded only for the agent's own fault or the fault of those working for the agent.
لا يسأل الوكيل الملاحي من قبل الشاحنين أو المرسل إليهم عن هلاك أو تلف البضائع التي يتسلمها لشحنها في السفينة أو التي يتولى تفريغها منها لتسليمها لأصحابها إلا عن
- Article 122
The cargo agent must preserve the rights of the goods' owners against the carrier; otherwise the agent is presumed to have received the goods in the condition and quantity stated in the bill of lading, unless the contrary is proved by an official record.
يجب على وكيل الشحنة اتخاذ الإجراءات والتدابير اللازمة للمحافظة على حقوق أصحاب الشأن في البضاعة قِبَل الناقل أو متعهد النقل، وإلا افترض أنّ الوكيل تسلم البضاعة ف
- Article 124
The provisions limiting the carrier's liability set out in the Law apply to the transport contractor.
تسري على متعهد النقل أحكام تحديد المسؤولية المتعلقة بالناقل المنصوص عليها في النظام.
- Article 155
The lessor of a fully equipped ship is liable for damage to the goods the lessee places on the ship, unless he proves he fully performed his obligations and the damage did not arise from his fault or that of his subordinates.
يسأل مؤجر السفينة المجهزة عن الضرر الذي يصيب البضائع التي يضعها المستأجر في السفينة, إلا إذا أثبت أنه قام بتنفيذ التزاماته كاملة, وأن الضرر لم ينشأ عن تقصيره أو
- Article 179
A contract of carriage by sea can be proved only in writing.
لا يثبت عقد النقل البحري إلا بالكتابة.
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.