Article 23 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 23 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الرابع: تسجيل السفينة المستأجرة غير المجهزة
The article requires the owner of a Saudi ship not fitted out, chartered to a foreigner, to notify the registration office fifteen days before the contract takes effect; registration is suspended or cancelled temporarily and the Kingdom's flag may not be flown during the charter.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
في حالة تأجير سفينة سعودية غير مجهزة لأجنبي، فعلى مالكها إبلاغ مكتب التسجيل المسجلة فيه السفينة قبل سريان عقد الإيجار بخمسة عشر يوماً على الأقل، وعلى مكتب التسجيل تعليق أو شطب تسجيل السفينة مؤقتاً خلال مدة الإيجار، ولا يجوز للسفينة رفع علم المملكة خلال هذه المدة.
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 23 explained in plain English
This article addresses the opposite of chartering foreign ships: chartering a Saudi ship that is not fitted out to a foreigner.
1. The owner's obligation: to notify the registration office where the ship is registered at least fifteen days before the charter contract takes effect.
2. The registration office's obligation: to suspend the ship's registration or cancel it temporarily during the charter period.
3. The flag: the ship may not fly the Kingdom's flag during the charter period.
In practical terms, a Saudi ship chartered bareboat to a foreigner temporarily loses its right to fly the Kingdom's flag, because its registration is suspended or temporarily cancelled. The advance notice of at least fifteen days obliges the owner to plan before the contract begins, not when it begins.
The three restrictions are linked: advance notice, temporary suspension or cancellation, and the ban on flying the flag. The article does not state whether registration is restored automatically after the charter ends, or the procedures for restoring it. This case differs from Article 22, which concerns a chartered foreign ship that is not fitted out and is registered in the Kingdom.
A person who wants to charter their ship to a foreign party can consult a lawyer specializing in commercial cases to arrange the procedures.
Practical example
The owner of a Saudi ship wants to charter it, not fitted out, to a foreign company starting on the first of Rajab. He must notify the registration office at least fifteen days beforehand, the office suspends or temporarily cancels its registration, and the ship does not fly the Kingdom's flag during the charter.
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 23 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Can a Saudi ship that is not fitted out be chartered to a foreigner?
Yes, provided the registration office is notified at least fifteen days before the contract takes effect, and registration is suspended or temporarily cancelled during the charter.
Does a ship chartered to a foreigner fly the Kingdom's flag?
No. It may not fly the Kingdom's flag during the charter period.
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.