Article 256 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 256 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الأول: التصادم البحري
The Article requires the master of each ship involved in a collision to help the other ships and those aboard without endangering his own ship, and to give them his ship's particulars; the shipowner is liable only on his express instructions.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- على ربان كل سفينة من السفن التي حدث تصادم بينها أن يبادر إلى مساعدة السفن الأخرى وبحارتها وغيرهم من الأشخاص الموجودين عليها، وذلك بالقدر الذي لا يعرض سفينته أو بحارتها أو الأشخاص الموجودين عليها للخطر، ويكون الربان مسؤولاً إذا أهمل في تنفيذ هذا الالتزام. وعليه -كلما أمكن ذلك- أن يبلغ السفن الأخرى باسم سفينته وميناء تسجيلها والجهة القادمة منها والجهة المسافرة إليها.
2- لا يكون المجهز مسؤولاً عن مخالفة الالتزامات الواردة في الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة, إلا إذا وقعت المخالفة بناء على تعليمات صريحة منه.
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 256 explained in plain English
This Article places two obligations on the master of each ship involved in the collision:
- Assistance: to act promptly to help the other ships, their crews, and other persons aboard them. The limit of this obligation is that the assistance be to the extent that it does not expose his ship, its crew, or the persons aboard to danger.
- Notification: to inform the other ships, whenever possible, of the name of his ship, its port of registry, the place it is coming from, and the place it is sailing to.
The master is liable if he is negligent in carrying out the duty of assistance.
As for the operator, who according to Article 1 is the person who operates the ship for his own account, he is not liable for breach of these obligations unless the breach occurred on his express instructions. The principle is that these obligations are personal to the master, and liability does not pass to the operator unless he was the one who expressly directed the breach.
The duty of assistance here is imposed on the master of each of the colliding ships, without the text distinguishing between the ship at fault and others. As for where an action arising from the collision is brought, Article 257 specifies it, including the court of the defendant's domicile or the port of registry of his ship. The Article does not specify the type or amount of liability, and to assess this in a particular incident it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in maritime matters.
Practical example
Two ships collided in the Red Sea, and the ship of Master Salem was not exposed to a danger that would prevent him from helping. He must act promptly to help the other ship and those aboard, and inform it, whenever possible, of his ship's name, port of registry, and destination. If he refrained on the operator's express instructions, the operator would be liable as well.
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 256 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Must the master help the other ship after a collision?
Yes. He must act promptly to help the other ships and those aboard to the extent that it does not expose his ship or those aboard to danger, and he is liable if he is negligent in that.
What particulars must the master give the other ships?
The name of his ship, its port of registry, where it is coming from, and where it is sailing to, whenever possible.
When is the ship's operator liable?
If the breach of these obligations occurred on his express instructions.
More articles on Collision and Maritime Salvage
- Article 111
The master submits a report on unusual incidents to the Authority within 24 hours of arrival; the Authority verifies it and draws up a record, and the master may not unload the affected cargo before the report except in extreme necessity.
1- إذا طرأت أثناء الرحلة حوادث غير عادية تتعلق بالسفينة أو بالركاب أو بالشحنة وجب على الربان أن يعد تقريراً بذلك يقدمه إلى الهيئة خلال أربع وعشرين ساعة من وصول
- Article 254
The article specifies who bears compensation for a maritime collision according to its cause: fault of one ship, force majeure or an unknown cause, or common fault, and sets out the cases of joint liability toward third parties.
1- إذا حدث تصادم بسبب خطأ إحدى السفن التزمت السفينة المحدثة للضرر بالتعويض الذي يترتب على هذا التصادم. 2- إذا وقع التصادم بسبب قوة قاهرة، أو كان هناك شك في أسبا
- Article 255
The Article provides that the liability set out in the collision chapter also arises if the collision occurs through the pilot's fault, even if pilotage is compulsory, without prejudice to the general rules of liability.
تترتب المسؤولية المنصوص عليها في هذا الفصل, إذا وقع التصادم بخطأ المرشد، ولو كان الإرشاد إجباريًّا، وذلك مع عدم الإخلال بالقواعد العامة في المسؤولية.
- Article 257
The Article lists the courts before which a claimant may bring a maritime collision action, and allows arbitration agreements provided it takes place within the area of one of these courts, as the claimant chooses.
1- للمدعي إقامة الدعوى الناشئة عن التصادم البحري أمام إحدى المحاكم الآتية: أ- المحكمة التي يقع في نطاق اختصاصها موطن المدعى عليه، أو مقر عمله الرئيس. ب- المحكمة
- Article 258
The Article bars hearing a collision compensation action after two years from the incident and a recourse action after one year from the death, and suspends the periods if the ship cannot be arrested and the claimant is Saudi or domiciled in the Kingdom.
1- لا تسمع الدعوى بالتعويض الناشئة عن التصادم بعد مضي سنتين من تاريخ وقوع الحادث. 2- لا تسمع دعوى الرجوع المنصوص عليها في الفقرة (5) من المادة (الرابعة والخمسين
- Article 259
The Article obliges the master to follow the rules for directing and navigating ships in the 1972 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and their amendments in force in the Kingdom.
يلتزم الربان بقواعد توجيه السفن وقيادتها, التي نصت عليها معاهدة القواعد الدولية لمنع التصادم في البحر لعام 1972م وتعديلاتها النافذة في المملكة.
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.