Article 21 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 21 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الرابع: تسجيل السفينة المستأجرة غير المجهزة
The article subjects a chartered foreign bareboat ship registered in the Kingdom to the Kingdom's laws, with the charterer taking the owner's place in the law's obligations and penalties for the whole charter period.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تطبق على السفينة الأجنبية المستأجرة غير المجهزة المسجلة في المملكة، الأنظمة المعمول بها في المملكة، ويحل المستأجر طوال مدة الإيجار محل المالك فيما يتعلق بالالتزامات والجزاءات الواردة في 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 21 explained in plain English
This article completes the provisions on registering a chartered foreign ship that is not fitted out in the Kingdom, and lays down two rules:
1. Applicable laws: once registered in the Kingdom, the laws in force in the Kingdom apply to this ship.
2. The charterer takes the owner's place: throughout the charter period, the charterer takes the owner's place with respect to:
- The obligations set out in the law.
- The penalties set out in the law.
In practical terms, a charterer that has registered the ship in the Kingdom under Article 20 does not deal with the authorities merely as a charterer, but is treated as if it were the owner as regards the obligations and penalties the law provides for, during the charter period. The logic is that a ship that is not fitted out, as defined in Article 1, is placed at the charterer's disposal without stores, crew or fuel from the lessor.
The article does not specify what happens after the charter ends; it limits the substitution to its duration. A person chartering a ship that is not fitted out who wants to assess their responsibilities can consult a lawyer specializing in commercial cases.
Practical example
A Saudi company charters a foreign ship that is not fitted out for one year and registers it in the Kingdom. During that year the company bears the obligations and penalties set out in the law in place of the foreign owner.
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 21 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Who bears the law's obligations on a chartered ship that is not fitted out?
The charterer takes the owner's place with respect to the obligations and penalties set out in the law throughout the charter period.
Which laws apply to this ship?
The laws in force in the Kingdom, once it is registered there.
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.