Article 383 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 383 من النظام البحري التجاري · الباب العاشر: العقوبات
The article punishes a ship's owner with a fine of SAR 2,000 to 10,000 for violating registration, reporting of modifications or deregistration requirements, misusing a temporary certificate, or withholding the registration certificate.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعاقب بغرامة لا تقل عن ألفي ريال, ولا تزيد على عشرة آلاف ريال, مالك السفينة إذا ارتكب أيًّا من الأفعال الآتية:
1- مخالفة الإجراءات أو المواعيد المقررة في النظام ولوائحه المتعلقة بالآتي:
أ- تسجيل السفينة.
ب- الإبلاغ بالتعديلات التي طرأت على السفينة.
ج- شطب السفينة.
2- استخدام شهادة التسجيل المؤقتة بالمخالفة للقواعد المقررة في النظام.
3- الامتناع عن تقديم شهادة تسجيل السفينة إلى السلطات المختصة عند طلبها.
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 383 explained in plain English
This article sets a penalty of a fine of not less than SAR 2,000 and not more than SAR 10,000 on the ship's owner if he commits any of the following acts:
- Violating the procedures or deadlines set in the Law and its regulations concerning:
- Registering the ship.
- Reporting modifications made to the ship.
- Deregistering the ship.
- Using the temporary registration certificate in breach of the rules set in the Law.
- Refusing to present the ship's registration certificate to the competent authorities when it is requested.
According to Article 1, the ship's owner is the person whose name is entered in the Kingdom's register of ships as owner, and the register of ships is the official register in which the particulars of ships and their owners are recorded.
The article does not set out the procedures and deadlines it means, but refers to what the Law and its regulations provide on them.
Article 382 punishes a crew member who causes a ship to be suspended by statements proved untrue, while Article 384 punishes a ship's master with a fine of SAR 2,000 to 5,000 where the ship does not keep an oil record book. To learn the registration requirements, it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in maritime cases.
Practical example
The owner of a Saudi ship made substantial modifications to it and did not report them in accordance with the procedures and deadlines set in the Law and its regulations. He is punished with a fine of not less than SAR 2,000 and not more than SAR 10,000.
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 383 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What is the penalty for violating ship registration procedures?
A fine of not less than two thousand riyals and not more than ten thousand riyals, imposed on the ship's owner.
Is the owner punished if he refuses to present the registration certificate?
Yes. Refusing to present the ship's registration certificate to the competent authorities when it is requested is one of the punishable acts.
What violations concern the temporary registration certificate?
Using it in breach of the rules set in the Law.
More articles on Penalties Under the Commercial Maritime Law
- Article 373
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.
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 السفي
- 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
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.