Article 373 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 373 من النظام البحري التجاري · الباب العاشر: العقوبات
The article punishes with a fine of SAR 100,000 to 1,000,000 anyone who flies the Kingdom's flag on an unregistered ship, with possible confiscation, or hides or defaces the ship's particulars, except to avoid capture.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعاقب بغرامة لا تقل عن مائة ألف ريال, ولا تزيد على مليون ريال:
1- كل مالك أو مجهز أو ربان يرفع علم المملكة على سفينة غير مسجلة فيها، مع جواز الحكم بمصادرة السفينة.
2- كل مالك أو مجهز أو ربان أخفى أو شوَّه أو طمس أو محا أي بيان من بيانات السفينة, إلا إذا كان ذلك بقصد التخلص من الوقوع في الأسر في كلتا الحالتين.
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 373 explained in plain English
This article sets a penalty of a fine of not less than SAR 100,000 and not more than SAR 1,000,000 for two acts:
1. Flying the flag without registration: every owner, operator or master who flies the Kingdom's flag on a ship not registered in it. In addition to the fine, confiscation of the ship may be ordered.
2. Tampering with the ship's particulars: every owner, operator or master who hid, defaced, obliterated or erased any of the ship's particulars.
The exception: there is no penalty if this was done with the intent of escaping capture, and the text provides that this exception applies in both cases.
Note that three persons are addressed by the penalty: the owner, the operator and the master. Under Article 1, the owner is the person whose name is entered in the Kingdom's ship register as owner, the operator is the one who operates the ship for his own account, and the master is the one qualified to command it and responsible for managing it.
The article sets the minimum and maximum of the fine without stating the criteria for assessing between them. Article 374 provides the penalty for operating a marine platform without safety requirements. Anyone facing an accusation of a violation of this kind should consult a lawyer specialized in criminal and maritime cases.
Practical example
A master flies the Kingdom's flag on a ship that was not registered in the Saudi ship register. He is punished with a fine of not less than SAR 100,000 and not more than SAR 1,000,000, and confiscation of the ship may be ordered.
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 373 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What is the penalty for flying the Saudi flag on an unregistered ship?
A fine of not less than one hundred thousand riyals and not more than one million riyals, and confiscation of the ship may be ordered.
Is hiding the ship's particulars punishable?
Yes, the same fine applies to every owner, operator or master who hid, defaced, obliterated or erased any of the ship's particulars.
Is there a case in which there is no punishment?
If it was done with the intent of escaping capture, in both cases.
More articles on Penalties Under the Commercial Maritime Law
- Article 374
The article punishes the operator of a marine platform with a fine of SAR 100,000 to 500,000 if he operates it without the safety requirements needed to protect persons and the environment.
يعاقب بغرامة لا تقل عن مائة ألف ريال, ولا تزيد على خمسمائة ألف ريال, مجهز المنصة البحرية في حالة تشغيلها دون توافر متطلبات السلامة اللازمة لحماية الأشخاص والبيئ
- Article 375
The article punishes with a fine of SAR 100,000 to 500,000 moving stranded ships or wreckage into territorial waters to evade the Law, preventing or obstructing the rescue of stranded ships, and hiding wreckage or its markers.
يعاقب بغرامة لا تقل عن مائة ألف ريال, ولا تزيد على خمسمائة ألف ريال: 1- كل من نقل إلى المياه الإقليمية للمملكة أي سفينة جانحة أو متروكة أو جزء من شحنتها أو ملحق
- Article 376
The article punishes with a fine of SAR 10,000 to 100,000 a master who does not respond to a distress call without an acceptable justification, and the operator if the violation is on his express instructions.
1- يعاقب بغرامة لا تقل عن عشرة آلاف ريال، ولا تزيد على مائة ألف ريال, كل ربان لم يستجب لطلب الاستغاثة لإنقاذ سفينة تشرف على الغرق أو لإنقاذ شخص يعثر عليه في الب
- Article 377
The article punishes with a fine of SAR 10,000 to 100,000 the master or operator of a Saudi ship who sails it without a valid certificate, or sails a ship that has been ordered suspended or barred from sailing.
يعاقب بغرامة لا تقل عن عشرة آلاف ريال, ولا تزيد على مائة ألف ريال, كل ربان أو مجهز لسفينة ترفع علم المملكة يسيِّرها دون أن تحمل شهادة سارية من الشهادات المشار إ
- Article 378
The article punishes with a fine of SAR 10,000 to 100,000 anyone who disrupts or obstructs maritime inspection delegates or experts of classification societies authorized by the Authority from carrying out their task.
يعاقب بغرامة لا تقل عن عشرة آلاف ريال, ولا تزيد على مائة ألف ريال, كل من يعطل أو يعوق عمل مندوبي التفتيش البحري أو خبراء هيئات التصنيف المفوضة من الهيئة عن أداء
- Article 379
The article punishes with a fine of SAR 10,000 to 50,000 any person who pilots a ship without holding a permit from the competent authority.
يعاقب بغرامة لا تقل عن عشرة آلاف ريال, ولا تزيد على خمسين ألف ريال, كل شخص يتولى إرشاد سفينة دون أن يكون حاملاً لتصريح من السلطة المختصة.
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.