Article 308 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 308 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الأول: الأحكام العامة
The article keeps the insurer liable for covered risks where the route, voyage or ship must be changed out of necessity, and otherwise limits his cover to incidents on the specified or usual route unless agreed otherwise.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يبقى المؤمِّن مسؤولاً عن الأخطار التي يشملها التأمين في حالة الاضطرار إلى تغيير الطريق أو الرحلة أو السفينة. فإن لم يكن تغيير الرحلة أو الطريق اضطراريًّا، فلا يلتزم المؤمِّن إلا بتغطية الحوادث التي وقعت في الطريق المحدد، أو المعتاد لإتمام عملية النقل, ما لم يتفق على خلاف ذلك.
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 308 explained in plain English
This article deals with the effect of changing the route, the voyage or the ship on the insurance:
A change out of necessity: the insurer remains liable for the risks the insurance covers if there is a necessity to change:
- the route, or
- the voyage, or
- the ship.
A change of the voyage or route not out of necessity: the insurer is bound only to cover incidents that occurred on the specified or usual route for completing the carriage, unless otherwise agreed.
The test is necessity: if the change was imposed by circumstances in which there was no choice, the cover remains, but if it was voluntary, the cover is limited to what occurs on the specified or usual route. Note that the second sentence of the text mentions the voyage and the route only, not the ship. The parties may agree on a different rule.
Article 307 deals with the insurer's liability for the faults of the insured, his subordinates, the master and the crew, while Article 309 excludes war, piracy, terrorism, nuclear radiation and the like risks from the insurance unless otherwise agreed.
Practical example
A ship carrying insured goods to Jeddah had to change its route because of a storm, and the goods were then damaged on the new route. The insurer remains liable because the change was out of necessity. Had the shipowner changed the route for commercial reasons, the insurer would be bound only for incidents on the specified or usual route, unless otherwise agreed.
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 308 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Does the insurance lapse if the ship changes its route?
If the change is out of necessity, the insurer remains liable for the risks the insurance covers.
What if the change of route was voluntary?
The insurer is bound only to cover incidents that occurred on the specified or usual route for completing the carriage, unless otherwise agreed.
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لا يصرح للسفن التي تحمل جنسية المملكة بالسفر إلى المناطق التي تغلب عليها أخطار الحرب, أو أعمال القرصنة أو السطو المسلح, إلا بعد تقديم مالكها أو مجهزها أو مستأجر
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- Article 236
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يجب أن يكون لدى الناقل تأمين أو ضمان من جهة معترف بها، لتغطية مسؤوليته عن الوفاة والإصابات البدنية. وفي هذه الحالة يجوز للمتضرر الرجوع المباشر على المؤمن أو الض
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دون إخلال بالأحكام الواردة في نظام مراقبة شركات التأمين التعاوني, تسري أحكام هذا الباب على عقد التأمين الذي يكون موضوعه تغطية الأخطار البحرية.
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1- لا يثبت عقد التأمين وكل ما يطرأ عليه إلاَّ بالكتابة. 2- يصدر بموجب عقد التأمين وثيقة تأمين تتضمن البيانات الآتية: أ- تاريخ عقد التأمين ومكانه. ب- اسم المؤمِّ
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1- تكون وثيقة التأمين باسم المؤمن له أو لأمره، أو لحاملها. 2- يكون لحامل الوثيقة الشرعي الحق في المطالبة بالتعويض, وللمؤمِّن أن يحتج في مواجهته بالدفوع التي يجو
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.