Article 251 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 251 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الرابع: عقد النقل البحري : أولاً: أحكام عامة
The article obliges the cruise organizer to give each participant or group a trip ticket, failing which the contract is void, a nullity only the participant may invoke, and to give a booklet of vouchers for services ashore.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يسلم منظم الرحلة كل مشترك أو كل مجموعة من المشتركين تذكرة الرحلة، وإلا كان عقد تنظيمها باطلاً، وللمشترك وحده حق التمسك بهذا البطلان.
2- يسلم منظم الرحلة إلى المشترك -بالإضافة إلى تذكرة الرحلة- دفتراً يشتمل على قسائم تبين في كل منها الخدمات التي يتعهد منظم الرحلة بتقديمها للمشترك على البر في الميناء المذكور في القسيمة.
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 251 explained in plain English
This article places two obligations on the organizer of a sea cruise for tourism:
First: the trip ticket (paragraph 1). The trip organizer gives each participant, or each group of participants, the trip ticket. If it does not, the contract organizing the trip is void. But this nullity is established in the participant's interest, so only the participant has the right to invoke it, and the organizer cannot rely on its failure to give the ticket to escape its obligations.
Second: the booklet of vouchers (paragraph 2). In addition to the ticket, the organizer gives the participant a booklet containing vouchers, each of which states:
- the services that the organizer undertakes to provide to the participant ashore,
- at the port named in the voucher.
The practical benefit of this booklet is that it shows the participant what services are due at each port at which the trip stops. This supplements what Article 250 provides on the organizer's obligation to perform the trip in accordance with the contract or the announced terms, and what Article 252 provides on its liability to compensate for harm to the participant or the participant's baggage.
Practical example
A family joined a sea cruise with stops at three ports, and the organizer gave them the trip ticket and a booklet with a voucher for each port stating the services undertaken ashore there, such as an accompanying tour or a meal. Had it not given them the ticket, they alone could have invoked the nullity of the 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 contentCommercial & Corporate Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Commercial & Corporate Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Ibrahim Al Salem Law Firm
Active contributor
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Frequently asked questions about Article 251 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What happens if the sea cruise organizer does not give me a ticket?
The contract organizing the trip is void, and only the participant has the right to invoke this nullity.
Can the trip organizer invoke the nullity of the contract?
No. The text gives the right to invoke the nullity to the participant alone.
What is the booklet of vouchers in a sea cruise?
A booklet the organizer gives the participant with the ticket; each voucher states the services the organizer undertakes to provide ashore at the port named in it.
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.