Article 226 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 226 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الرابع: عقد النقل البحري : أولاً: أحكام عامة
A travel ticket may be replaced by a document stating the carrier's name and services if the ship's tonnage is no more than twenty tons or it operates within the port or in areas set by the maritime authorities.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجوز أن تستبدل بتذكرة السفر وثيقة أخرى يبين فيها اسم الناقل والخدمات التي يلتزم بتأديتها، وذلك إذا كانت حمولة السفينة الكلية لا تزيد على عشرين طناً، أو كانت السفينة تقوم بخدمات داخل الميناء، أو في مناطق محددة تحددها السلطات البحرية.
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 226 explained in plain English
This article relaxes the travel ticket requirements in certain cases, allowing another document to replace it that states:
- The name of the carrier.
- The services the carrier undertakes to perform.
The cases in which this is permitted:
- Where the ship's gross tonnage is no more than twenty tons.
- Where the ship provides services within the port.
- Where it operates in specified areas determined by the maritime authorities.
The reasoning is that such trips are usually short or local, so they do not need all the detailed particulars required in an ordinary travel ticket.
Under Article 1, gross tonnage means the overall volume dimensions of the ship, measured in accordance with the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969, and its amendments.
The article does not specify the areas determined by the maritime authorities, so reference is made to those authorities.
It is preceded by Article 225, which sets out the particulars of the ordinary travel ticket and prohibits its assignment except with the carrier's consent. It is followed by Article 227, which obliges the carrier to make the ship ready and to provide meals and comfort facilities. Owners of small tourist boats are advised to consult a lawyer specialized in maritime law to learn which documents are required.
Practical example
Khalid operates a tourist boat with a gross tonnage of 15 tons for short trips in Jeddah. He may give passengers a document stating his name as carrier and the services he undertakes, instead of the full travel ticket.
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 226 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Do small boat trips need a full travel ticket?
The ticket may be replaced by a document stating the carrier's name and services if the ship's gross tonnage is no more than twenty tons.
In what other cases can the ticket be replaced?
Where the ship provides services within the port, or operates in specified areas determined by the maritime authorities.
More articles on Passenger Carriage and Maritime Tourist Cruises
- Article 105
The master records births and deaths in the official logbook and follows the civil status rules, inventories a deceased person's belongings with an officer and hands them over at the first Saudi port, and may put off a person with a contagious disease at the nearest port.
1- إذا حدثت ولادة أو وفاة أثناء السفر وجب على الربان إثبات هذه الوقائع في دفتر الوقائع الرسمي للسفينة، واتباع الإجراءات المنصوص عليها في الأنظمة الخاصة بالأحوال
- Article 225
A contract for carrying persons by sea is proved by a document called a travel ticket, which states the carrier, passenger, ship, ports, fare and class of accommodation; the ticket cannot be assigned to another person without the carrier's consent.
1- يثبت عقد نقل الأشخاص بحراً بمحرر يسمى تذكرة السفر، يذكر فيها على وجه خاص: أ- اسم الناقل, واسم الراكب, وجنسيته. ب- تاريخ إصدار تذكرة السفر. ج- اسم السفينة, وج
- Article 227
A passenger carrier must make the ship seaworthy and fit for the agreed voyage and keep it so throughout the trip, and must provide the necessary meals, comfort facilities and toilets appropriate to the voyage.
يلتزم الناقل بإعداد السفينة وتجهيزها بما يلزم لتكون صالحة للملاحة ولتنفيذ السفر المتفق عليه. ويلتزم كذلك بإبقاء السفينة على هذه الحال طوال مدة السفر, وأن يوفر ا
- Article 228
A passenger must appear at the time and place stated in the travel ticket; if the passenger fails to appear or is late, the passenger remains liable to pay the fare.
يجب على الراكب الحضور في الميعاد والمكان المبينين في تذكرة السفر, فإن تخلف عن الحضور, أو تأخر عن الميعاد المحدد, ظل ملزماً بدفع الأجرة.
- Article 229
If the passenger dies or is prevented from traveling, the contract is terminated and the full fare is refunded provided the carrier is notified in good time; otherwise the carrier is entitled to a quarter of the fare. This also applies to the passenger's family and dependents.
إذا توفي الراكب أو قام مانع يحول دون سفره فسخ العقد واسترجعت الأجرة كاملة, بشرط أن يبلغ الراكب أو ورثته الناقل بذلك قبل الميعاد المعين للسفر بوقت مناسب وفق ما ت
- Article 230
Once the voyage has begun, circumstances relating to the passenger personally have no effect on the obligations arising from the contract of carriage.
إذا بدأ السفر فلا يكون للظروف المتعلقة بشخص الراكب أثر فيما يرتبه العقد من التزامات.
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.