Article 258 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 258 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الأول: التصادم البحري
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
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 بعد المائتين) بعد مضي سنة من تاريخ الوفاة.
3- يقف سريان المدد المنصوص عليها في هذه المادة, إذا تعذر الحجز على السفينة المدعى عليها وكان المدعي من الأشخاص الذين يتمتعون بالجنسية السعودية, أو كان له موطن فيها.
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 258 explained in plain English
This Article sets the periods within which maritime collision actions must be brought:
- An action for compensation for the collision: it is not heard after two years from the date of the incident.
- The recourse action provided for in paragraph 5 of Article 254: it is not heard after one year from the date of death. This is the action brought by a ship that paid more than its share of compensation for death or bodily injury, to recover the excess from the other ships.
Suspension of the period: These periods are suspended if two things come together:
- it is impossible to arrest the defendant ship, and
- the claimant is a Saudi national or is domiciled in the Kingdom.
Suspension means that the period does not run as long as its cause continues. The provision protects a Saudi claimant or resident who was unable to arrest the ship. To calculate the period in a particular case, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in maritime matters.
Practical example
A collision occurred between two ships on the 1st of Muharram, so the owner of the damaged ship may bring the compensation action within two years of that date. If he is Saudi and it was impossible to arrest the defendant ship because it did not return to the Kingdom, the running of the period is suspended.
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 258 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What is the time limit for a maritime collision compensation action?
It is not heard after two years from the date of the incident.
What is the time limit for a recourse action between ships?
The recourse action provided for in paragraph 5 of Article 254 is not heard after one year from the date of death.
When is the running of the collision action period suspended?
If it is impossible to arrest the defendant ship and the claimant is a Saudi national or domiciled in the Kingdom.
Articles this article refers to
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 256
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.
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
- 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 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.