Article 310 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 310 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الأول: الأحكام العامة
The article states what war risk insurance covers if agreed: hostile acts, capture, seizure, restraint and coercion by authorities, and explosion of mines and war equipment, even if war was not declared or has ended.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا اتفق على تأمين أخطار الحرب, شمل هذا التأمين الأضرار التي تلحق الأشياء المؤمَّن عليها بسبب الأعمال العدائية أو الانتقامية أو الأسر أو الاستيلاء أو الإيقاف أو الإكراه إذا وقعت بفعل الحكومات أو السلطات, سواء أكانت معترفاً بها أم غير معترف بها، أو بسبب انفجار الألغام ومعدات الحرب الأخرى، ولو لم تكن الحرب قد أعلنت, أو كانت قد انتهت.
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 310 explained in plain English
This article sets out the scope of war risk insurance if the parties agree on it. If insurance of these risks is agreed, the insurance covers damage to the things insured caused by:
- Hostile or retaliatory acts.
- Capture, seizure, detention or coercion, if done by governments or authorities, whether recognized or unrecognized.
- The explosion of mines and other war equipment.
This applies even if war was not declared, or had ended. A sea mine left over from an earlier conflict that explodes on a ship after the war has ended, for example, falls within this cover.
Article 309 makes war risks excluded from the insurance unless otherwise agreed, so this article comes to set out what falls within the cover when agreed. Article 311 sets a rule for cases where it cannot be known whether damage was caused by a war risk or a maritime risk, so that it is considered to arise from a maritime risk unless the contrary is proved.
Practical example
A transport company in Jeddah agreed with its insurer to insure its ship against war risks. The ship hit an old sea mine after a conflict in the area had ended. The insurance covers this damage because it arises from the explosion of a mine, even though the war had ended.
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 310 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What does maritime war risk insurance include?
Damage from hostile or retaliatory acts, capture, seizure, detention or coercion by governments or authorities whether recognized or unrecognized, and the explosion of mines and other war equipment.
Must war have been declared?
No. The insurance covers this damage even if war was not declared or had ended.
More articles on Marine Insurance
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Ships carrying the Kingdom's nationality are not permitted to sail to areas dominated by the dangers of war, piracy or armed robbery until proof of insurance of their crew against these dangers is provided.
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
- Article 215
Any agreement made before the incident that exempts the carrier from liability for loss of or damage to the goods, alters the burden of proof placed on him, or assigns to him the rights arising from cargo insurance is void.
يقع باطلاً كل اتفاق يتم قبل وقوع الحادث الذي نشأ عنه الضرر, ويكون موضوعه أحد الأمور الآتية: 1- إعفاء الناقل من المسؤولية عن هلاك البضائع أو تلفها. 2- تعديل عبء
- Article 236
The carrier must hold insurance or a guarantee from a recognized body covering its liability for death and bodily injury, and the injured party may claim directly against the insurer or guarantor.
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
- Article 293
The article provides that the maritime insurance provisions apply to an insurance contract covering maritime risks, without prejudice to the Law on Supervision of Cooperative Insurance Companies.
دون إخلال بالأحكام الواردة في نظام مراقبة شركات التأمين التعاوني, تسري أحكام هذا الباب على عقد التأمين الذي يكون موضوعه تغطية الأخطار البحرية.
- Article 294
The article requires a maritime insurance contract and any change to it to be proved in writing, sets the particulars of the insurance policy, and makes a provisional policy binding on both parties until the final policy is issued.
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
- Article 295
The article allows a maritime insurance policy to be issued in the name of the insured, to his order or to bearer, and gives its lawful holder the right to claim compensation, subject to the insurer's defenses against the insured.
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.