Article 76 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 76 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الأول: الحجز التحفظي
A maritime creditor may attach the ship to which the debt relates or any other ship the debtor owns when the attachment is requested, except for the debts in items 14, 15 and 16 of Article 75.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لكل من يتمسك بأحد الديون الناشئة عن الأسباب المذكورة في المادة (الخامسة والسبعين) أن يحجز على السفينة التي يتعلق بها الدين أو على أي سفينة أخرى يملكها المدين إذا كانت مملوكة له وقت تقديم طلب الحجز على السفينة. ومع ذلك لا يجوز الحجز على غير السفينة التي يتعلق بها الدين إذا كان هذا الدين من الديون المنصوص عليها في الفقرات (14) و(15) و(16) من المادة (الخامسة والسبعين) من النظام.
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 76 explained in plain English
This article widens the scope of precautionary attachment. A person relying on a maritime debt of the kinds listed in Article 75 may attach:
- the ship to which the debt relates, or
- any other ship owned by the debtor, provided it is owned by the debtor at the time the attachment is requested.
This helps a creditor when the debtor's ship is far from the Kingdom's ports, since the creditor can attach another ship of the same debtor.
However, the article excepts three kinds of debt for which only the ship to which the debt relates may be attached. They are the debts in items 14, 15 and 16 of Article 75:
- A dispute over ownership of the ship.
- A dispute over ownership, possession or operation of a jointly owned ship, or over the co-owners' rights to its proceeds.
- A maritime mortgage.
The reason is that these debts are tied to one specific ship. Article 77 deals with the case where a charterer or another non-owner is liable for the debt. To assess whether a particular ship may be attached, consult a lawyer who specializes in maritime and commercial law.
Practical example
A ship repair company is owed a debt by the owner of a ship that has left the Kingdom. The company finds another ship of the same owner moored at the port of Dammam and may request its attachment, because a repair debt is not one of the excepted debts.
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 76 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Can another ship of the debtor, not the one that caused the debt, be attached?
Yes, if the debtor owns it when the attachment is requested, unless the debt is one of those in items 14, 15 and 16 of Article 75.
When may only the ship itself be attached?
In disputes over ownership of the ship, disputes over a jointly owned ship, and a maritime mortgage.
Articles this article refers to
More articles on Precautionary and Executory Attachment of Ships
- Article 44
The article provides that if shares representing more than half the ship are attached, the judicial sale covers the whole ship, though the court may limit it to the attached shares for serious reasons at the request of an owner whose shares were not attached.
إذا وقع الحجز على حصص تمثل أكثر من نصف السفينة شمل البيع القضائي السفينة بأكملها. ومع ذلك يجوز أن تأمر المحكمة -بناءً على طلب أحد المالكين الذين لم يحجز على حصص
- Article 67
Mortgagee creditors may pursue the mortgaged ship into any hands and apply for a precautionary attachment, and the ship may not be disposed of once the attachment report is registered in the ship register.
الدائنون المرتهنون لسفينة، أو لجزء منها، يتتبعونها في أي يد كانت، ولهم حق التقدم بطلب الحجز التحفظي عليها، ولا يجوز التصرف في السفينة المرهونة بعد قيد محضر حجزه
- Article 68
If half of the ship or less is mortgaged, the creditor may attach and sell only the mortgaged part; if more than half, the court may order the sale of the whole ship, and co-owners must be notified fifteen days before the sale.
1- إذا كان الرهن واقعاً على جزء لا يزيد على نصف السفينة فليس للدائن إلا حجز هذا الجزء وبيعه، وإذا كان الرهن واقعاً على أكثر من نصف السفينة جاز للمحكمة -بناء على
- Article 69
Carrying out a court order for the sale of the ship clears it of all mortgages, and the rights of mortgagee creditors shift from the ship to its price.
يترتب على تنفيذ الأمر القضائي بالبيع تطهير السفينة من جميع الرهون، وتنتقل حقوق الدائنين إلى الثمن.
- Article 70
If ownership of the mortgaged ship has passed before the attachment report is registered, the creditor notifies the possessor of the attachment and demands the price; the possessor may avoid attachment and sale by notifying the registered creditors within the period and stating his readiness to pay.
1- إذا انتقلت ملكية السفينة المرهونة، أو بعضها -قبل قيد محضر الحجز- فعلى الدائن المرتهن الذي اتخذ إجراءات التنفيذ على السفينة أن يبلغ الحائز للسفينة بمحضر الحجز
- Article 71
When ownership of a mortgaged ship has passed under Article 70, each creditor may request its sale by judgment of the competent court with a guarantee for the price and expenses, and the request is notified to the possessor within ten days.
1- يجوز لكل دائن في الحالة المبينة في المادة (السبعين) أن يطلب بيع السفينة أو جزء منها بحكمٍ من المحكمة المختصة، مع تقديم كفالة بالثمن والمصروفات، وتكليف الحائز
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.