Article 34 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 34 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الأول: بناء السفينة وملكيتها
The article provides that a suit for guarantee of hidden defects is not heard after one year from the date of learning of the defect.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا تسمع دعوى ضمان العيوب الخفية بعد مضي سنة من تاريخ العلم بالعيب.
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 34 explained in plain English
This article sets a time limit for a suit for guarantee of hidden defects, which is the suit connected with the builder's obligation to guarantee the ship is free of hidden defects under Article 33.
The period: one year.
When it starts: from the date of learning of the defect, not from the date of delivery or the date of the contract.
The effect: the suit is not heard after this period has passed.
In practical terms, a person who discovers a hidden defect in a ship must act within one year of learning of it, otherwise their suit will not be heard. Tying the period to the date of knowledge means that a defect discovered years after delivery has its period start from the time it is discovered. The article does not set a separate maximum period counted from the date of delivery.
This provision, together with Article 33, extends to ship repair contracts under Article 35 of the law. Because determining the date of learning of the defect may be disputed, it is useful for a person who discovers a defect to consult a lawyer specializing in commercial cases as soon as possible.
Practical example
On the 1st of Muharram a ship owner discovers a hidden defect in the engine that the builder installed. If he does not file the guarantee suit within one year of that date, his suit will not be heard.
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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Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
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Frequently asked questions about Article 34 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What is the time limit for a hidden-defect suit on a ship?
One year from the date of learning of the defect, and the suit is not heard after it has passed.
When does the one-year period start?
From the date of learning of the defect.
More articles on Ship Construction and Co-Ownership
- Article 31
The article requires a ship construction contract, and any amendment to it, to be proved in writing, and the contract is valid only if signed by its parties.
يثبت عقد بناء السفينة وأي تعديل يطرأ عليه بالكتابة، ولا يكون صحيحاً إلا بتوقيع أطرافه عليه.
- Article 32
The article provides that ownership of the ship remains with the builder and passes to the party ordering it only on accepting delivery after trials, unless agreed otherwise.
تبقى ملكية السفينة لمتعهد البناء، ولا تنتقل ملكيتها إلى طالب البناء إلا بقبول تسلمها بعد تجربتها، ما لم يتفق على غير ذلك.
- Article 33
The article makes the ship builder guarantee that the ship is free of hidden defects, even if the party ordering it accepted delivery after trials.
يضمن متعهد بناء السفينة خلوها من العيوب الخفية، وإن قبل طالب البناء تسلم السفينة بعد تجربتها.
- Article 35
The article extends the hidden-defect guarantee and the one-year period from learning of the defect, set in Articles 33 and 34, to ship repair contracts.
تسري أحكام المادتين (الثالثة والثلاثين) و(الرابعة والثلاثين) على عقود إجراء إصلاحات السفينة.
- Article 36
The article requires acts creating, transferring or ending ownership of a ship or other real rights in it to be proved by an official document, otherwise void, and they are effective against third parties only once entered in the ship's register.
1- تُثبت التصرفات التي يكون موضوعها إنشاء حق الملكية أو نقله أو انقضاءه، أو غير ذلك من الحقوق العينية على السفينة؛ بمحرر رسمي، وإلاَّ كانت باطلة. وإذا وقعت هذه
- Article 37
The article provides that the majority view, meaning owners of more than half the shares, governs decisions on operating a jointly owned ship, and lets the dissenting minority ask a court to annul a decision within 15 days.
1- يُتَّبع رأي الأغلبية في كل قرار يتعلق باستغلال سفينة مملوكة على الشيوع، ما لم ينص النظام أو يتفق المالكون على غير ذلك. 2- تتوافر الأغلبية لمالكي أكثر من نصف
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.