Article 260 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 260 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الثاني: الإنقاذ البحري
The Article obliges every master to act promptly to rescue anyone at sea in danger of being lost without endangering his ship or those aboard, and makes the operator also liable if the breach was on his express instructions.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يجب على كل ربان أن يبادر إلى إنقاذ أي شخص في البحر معرض لخطر الهلاك، وذلك بالقدر الذي لا يعرض سفينته أو من عليها للخطر، ويكون الربان مسؤولاً إن أهمل في تنفيذ هذا الالتزام.
2- مع بقاء مسؤولية الربان, يسأل مجهز السفينة عن مخالفة الالتزام المشار إليه في الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة 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 260 explained in plain English
This Article places a humanitarian duty on every master, not only the master of the colliding ship: to act promptly to rescue anyone at sea in danger of being lost.
The limits of this duty are:
- It is to the extent that it does not expose his ship or those aboard to danger, so he is not required to risk his ship and its passengers.
- The master is liable if he is negligent in carrying it out.
Paragraph 2 adds a special provision on the ship's operator: he is also liable for breach of this obligation if the breach occurred on his express instructions, and this is while the master's liability remains. So the operator's instructions do not relieve the master, but add the operator's liability to his.
The text does not require a collision for this duty to arise; it is general for any person at sea in danger of being lost. Article 261 provides that maritime salvage operations give a right to a reward if they lead to a useful result. The Article does not specify the amount or type of liability.
Practical example
The master of a ship heading to Yanbu saw a small boat capsized and a fisherman struggling in the waves, and stopping to rescue him would not expose his ship to danger. He must act promptly to rescue him, and if the operator expressly told him not to stop and he complied, the master and the operator would both be liable.
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 260 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Is the master obliged to rescue a person drowning at sea?
Yes. Every master must act promptly to rescue anyone at sea in danger of being lost, to the extent that it does not expose his ship or those aboard to danger.
Do the operator's instructions relieve the master of liability?
No. The operator is liable for the breach if it occurred on his express instructions, while the master's liability remains.
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 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
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.