Article 384 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 384 من النظام البحري التجاري · الباب العاشر: العقوبات
The article punishes with a fine of SAR 2,000 to 5,000 a ship's master where the ship does not keep an oil record book.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعاقب بغرامة لا تقل عن ألفي ريال, ولا تزيد على خمسة آلاف ريال, ربان السفينة في حالة عدم الاحتفاظ فيها بسجل الزيت.
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 384 explained in plain English
This article sets a penalty for a violation concerning the oil record book:
- The person addressed: the ship's master.
- The act: not keeping the oil record book on the ship.
- The penalty: a fine of not less than SAR 2,000 and not more than SAR 5,000.
According to Article 1, oil includes crude petroleum, fuel oil (mazut), heavy diesel oil, lubricating oil and other petroleum derivatives.
Note that responsibility falls on the master, as the person qualified to command the ship and responsible for its management under Article 1. The article does not specify the types of ships required to carry an oil record book, nor the information that must be recorded in it.
Article 383 punishes the ship's owner for violating the procedures of registration, reporting of modifications and deregistration, and for using the temporary registration certificate in breach of the rules, while Article 385 allows a licensee who breaches the obligations of his license, its conditions or his obligations toward those he deals with to be punished with one or more penalties ranging from a warning to permanent withdrawal of the license, or with a fine of SAR 5,000 to 100,000. Anyone facing a violation of this kind should consult a lawyer who specializes in maritime cases.
Practical example
A ship was inspected in the port of Dammam and was found not to keep an oil record book. Its master is punished with a fine of not less than SAR 2,000 and not more than SAR 5,000.
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 384 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What is the penalty for a ship having no oil record book?
A fine of not less than two thousand riyals and not more than five thousand riyals, imposed on the ship's master.
Who is responsible?
The ship's master, according to the text of the article.
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.