Article 24 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 24 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الخامس: قيد الوحدات البحرية المعفاة من التسجيل
The article requires marine units exempt from registration under paragraph (2) of Article 7 to be entered in the register, and refers the conditions and procedures for entry to the regulations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تقيد الوحدات البحرية المعفاة من التسجيل المنصوص عليه في الفقرة (2) من المادة (السابعة)، وتحدد اللوائح شروط القيد وإجراءاته.
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 24 explained in plain English
This article clarifies that exemption from registration does not mean leaving the marine unit without any documentation, as it requires the exempt units to be entered in a register.
The units concerned: those exempt under paragraph (2) of Article 7 of the law, which are:
- Ships under 24 meters in length.
- Fishing ships of no more than 30 tons and no more than 20 meters in length.
- Pleasure and diving boats of no more than 10 tons and no more than 11 meters in length that are not authorized to sail outside the Kingdom's territorial waters.
- Primitively built ships, sailing vessels, non-self-propelled units, barges, lighters and other floating structures that normally operate within the port.
Conditions and procedures: set by the regulations; the article does not state them.
In practical terms there are two levels: registration for ships that are not exempt, and entry in the register for exempt units. The owner of a small pleasure boat or a fishing boat exempt from registration is subject to the entry procedure as set by the regulations. A person who owns a small marine unit and wants to know the requirements for entering it can consult a lawyer specializing in commercial cases.
Practical example
Salem owns a fishing boat in Qatif that is 15 meters long and 20 tons. It is exempt from registration under paragraph (2) of Article 7, but is subject to entry in the register under the conditions and procedures set by the regulations.
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 24 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Does a boat exempt from registration need no procedure at all?
Marine units exempt from registration must be entered in the register, and the regulations set the conditions and procedures for entry.
Which units exempt from registration are subject to entry?
Those provided for in paragraph 2 of Article 7, such as ships under 24 meters, small fishing and pleasure boats, and sailing vessels.
Articles this article refers to
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.