Article 247 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 247 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الرابع: عقد النقل البحري : أولاً: أحكام عامة
The master may not detain the passenger's unregistered baggage in satisfaction of the carriage fare.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز للربان أن يحبس أمتعة الراكب غير المسجلة وفاء لأجرة النقل.
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 247 explained in plain English
This article places an express restriction on the master, who under Article 1 is the person qualified to command the ship and responsible for its management: the master may not detain the passenger's unregistered baggage as security for collecting the carriage fare.
Unregistered baggage is what the passenger keeps with the passenger and does not hand to the carrier against a receipt, unlike registered baggage. Even if the passenger has not paid the fare, detaining this baggage may not be used as a means of pressuring the passenger.
Note that the article is limited to unregistered baggage and to detaining it in satisfaction of the carriage fare, and does not address the rule for registered baggage. The prohibition on detention does not mean the fare is waived; the article does not address the carrier's right to claim it by other means.
This article is connected to Article 246, which regulates the carrier's liability for loss of or damage to unregistered baggage, and to Article 248, which sets the period after which a claim arising from the carriage of baggage is not heard.
Practical example
A passenger arrived at the port of Dammam without having paid the full carriage fare, and the master wanted to keep the bag that was with the passenger until payment. The master may not do so under this article, because it is unregistered 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 247 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Can the ship's master hold my bag if I have not paid the fare?
The master may not detain the passenger's unregistered baggage in satisfaction of the carriage fare.
Does that mean the fare is waived?
The article prohibits detaining unregistered baggage only, and does not provide that the fare is waived.
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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
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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
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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
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- Article 229
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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
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.