Article 244 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 244 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الرابع: عقد النقل البحري : أولاً: أحكام عامة
The carrier must give the passenger a receipt for baggage it takes over and record it in a special register or notice; cars and vehicles delivered by the passenger count as registered baggage.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يسلم الناقل -أو من ينوب عنه- الراكب إيصالاً بالأمتعة التي تسلَّمها منه لنقلها، وتسجل هذه الأمتعة في دفتر أو إشعار خاص.
2- تعد من الأمتعة المسجلة السيارات وغيرها من المركبات التي يسلمها الراكب إلى الناقل لنقلها معه على السفينة.
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 244 explained in plain English
This article sets a documentation rule for baggage that the carrier receives from the passenger for carriage, known as registered baggage.
- The receipt: the carrier, or its representative, must give the passenger a receipt for the baggage it received from the passenger.
- Registration: this baggage is recorded in a special register or notice.
- Vehicles: cars and other vehicles that the passenger delivers to the carrier to be carried with the passenger on the ship are treated as registered baggage.
What is meant by vehicles here is what the passenger delivers to the carrier to be carried with the passenger on the ship itself; what counts is delivery to the carrier.
The importance of this provision is practical: different rules follow from the distinction between registered and unregistered baggage. Article 245 sets a maximum for compensation for loss of or damage to registered baggage, and subjects unregistered baggage to the provisions on the contract for carriage of goods by sea in the Law. Article 243 makes carriage of baggage part of the carrier's obligation within the limits of the contract and in accordance with the regulations' procedures.
Practical example
Khalid traveled with his family on a ferry and delivered his car to the carrier to be carried with him. The carrier must give him a receipt for the car and record it in a special register or notice, and the car is treated as registered baggage.
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 244 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Must the carrier give me a receipt for my baggage?
Yes. The carrier or its representative must give the passenger a receipt for the baggage it received for carriage, and it is recorded in a special register or notice.
Is a car considered part of a passenger's baggage?
Yes. Cars and other vehicles that the passenger delivers to the carrier to be carried with the passenger on the ship are treated as registered baggage.
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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.