Article 250 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 250 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الرابع: عقد النقل البحري : أولاً: أحكام عامة
The article obliges the organizer of a sea cruise to perform it toward the participants in accordance with the terms and rules in the organizing contract or the announced terms.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
في حالة الرحلات البحرية للسياحة, يلتزم منظم الرحلة تجاه المشتركين فيها بتنفيذها وفقاً للشروط والضوابط المنصوص عليها في عقد تنظيمها أو الشروط المعلن عنها.
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 250 explained in plain English
This article regulates sea cruises for tourism and places on the trip organizer a basic obligation toward the participants: to perform the cruise in accordance with one of two sources:
- The terms and rules set out in the contract organizing the trip, or
- The announced terms.
What is new in mentioning the announced terms is that what the organizer announces about the trip falls within the scope of its obligation, so the obligation is not limited to what is written in the contract. If the organizer announces a specific program or specific services, it is bound to perform the trip accordingly.
The participant in the trip is the party the article protects, and has the right to have the trip performed as agreed or as announced. Article 251 places additional obligations on the organizer, including giving each participant or group a trip ticket, failing which the contract is void, and giving a booklet of vouchers for the services it undertakes to provide ashore at each port.
This article does not itself specify the consequence of failure to perform, so a person who has suffered a breach by the trip organizer is advised to consult a lawyer specialized in commercial and maritime cases.
Practical example
Saad joined a sea cruise announced by a company in Jeddah, and the announcement included stops at specific ports. The trip organizer is bound to perform it in accordance with the announced terms, so its obligation is not limited to what appears in the written contract.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentCivil Litigation & Compensation lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Civil Litigation & Compensation lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Abdullah Al-Saleh Law Office for Law and Legal Consultancy
Frequently asked questions about Article 250 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Is the sea cruise organizer bound by what it announced?
Yes. The trip organizer must perform the trip in accordance with the terms and rules set out in the contract organizing it or the announced terms.
To whom is the trip organizer obliged?
To the participants in the sea cruise for tourism.
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 226
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.
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 الس
- 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
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.