Article 3 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 3 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الأول: السفينة : أحكام عامة
Article 3 applies the rules on movable property to ships, subject to the provisions of the law, except the rule on acquiring movables by possession and anything covered by a special provision.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
مع مراعاة الأحكام المنصوص عليها في النظام, تسري على السفينة أحكام المال المنقول عدا حكم تملكه بالحيازة, وما ورد في شأنه نص خاص.
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 3 explained in plain English
This article sets the legal nature of the ship: it is treated as movable property, meaning the general rules governing movable property apply to it.
But this default is subject to three limits:
- Regard for the provisions of the law: the special provisions the Commercial Maritime Law contains on ships take precedence.
- Exclusion of acquisition by possession: the rule on acquiring movables by possession does not apply to a ship. That is, merely taking possession of a ship is not enough to acquire ownership of it, as may happen with some other movables.
- Anything covered by a special provision: anything for which there is a special provision is also excluded.
This is connected to the definition in Article 1, which defines the ship owner as the person whose name is entered in the ship register in the Kingdom as owner.
The practical meaning is that whoever buys a ship or deals in it refers first to the provisions of the maritime law, then to the rules on movables where there is no provision, and does not rely on mere possession to prove ownership. Anyone with a transaction involving a ship can consult a lawyer specializing in commercial cases.
Practical example
A person took delivery of a large fishing boat from another and kept using it for years without a notarized contract. That alone is not enough to acquire the ship, because the rule on acquiring movables by possession does not apply to a ship.
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 3 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Is a ship movable or immovable property?
The rules on movable property apply to the ship, subject to the provisions of the law and anything covered by a special provision.
Can a ship be acquired merely by possessing it?
No. The article excludes the rule on acquiring movables by possession from the rules that apply to a ship.
More articles on Scope of the Maritime Law and Ship Nationality
- Article 1
Article 1 defines 39 terms on which the Commercial Maritime Law is built, such as the ship, operator, carrier, shipper, bill of lading, master, seaman, marine insurance, wreck and unit of account.
لأغراض هذا النظام, يقصد بالمصطلحات الآتية المعنى المبين أمام كل منها, ما لم يقتضِ السياق خلاف ذلك: 1- النظام: النظام البحري التجاري. 2- الوزير: وزير النقل، رئيس
- Article 2
Article 2 sets the scope of the Commercial Maritime Law: Saudi ships and foreign ships anchored in the Kingdom's ports or maritime zones, excluding warships and public service ships except for collision, salvage and general average.
تطبق أحكام هذا النظام على السفن السعودية, والسفن الأجنبية التي ترسو في موانئ المملكة أو مناطقها البحرية, وتستثنى من ذلك السفن الحربية, وسفن الخدمة العامة المخصص
- Article 4
Article 4 requires, for a ship to acquire Saudi nationality, registration in a Kingdom port and full ownership by a Saudi, or a Saudi majority of shares in co-ownership, and allows the Chairman to adjust the ownership percentage.
تكتسب السفينة الجنسية السعودية إذا كانت مسجلة في أحد موانئ المملكة، وكانت مملوكة بكاملها لشخص يتمتع بهذه الجنسية. وإذا كانت السفينة مملوكة على الشيوع اشترط أن ت
- Article 5
Article 5 requires every Saudi ship to fly the Kingdom's flag and permits flying another flag only where maritime custom allows, or to avoid certain danger or capture.
على كل سفينة سعودية أن ترفع علم المملكة, ولا يجوز لها أن ترفع علماً غيره إلاَّ في الحالات التي يجري فيها العرف البحري، أو إذا كان الغرض هو تجنب الوقوع في خطر مح
- Article 6
Article 6 limits towing, pilotage, supply services in the Kingdom's maritime zones and coastal transport between its ports to Saudi ships, and lets the Chairman exempt other ships by a license for a set period.
لا يجوز لغير السفن السعودية ممارسة نشاط القَطْر أو الإرشاد أو القيام بخدمات التموين في مناطق المملكة البحرية، ولا يجوز لها مزاولة أعمال النقل الساحلي بين موانئ
- Article 93
The liability of the ship's owner is limited in accordance with the international conventions on limitation of liability for maritime claims to which the Kingdom has acceded.
تحدد مسؤولية مالك السفينة طبقاً للاتفاقيات الدولية المتعلقة بتحديد المسؤولية عن المطالبات البحرية التي انضمت إليها 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.