Article 78 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 78 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الأول: الحجز التحفظي
Copies of the ship attachment report are delivered to the master or his substitute, to the competent port authority to prevent sailing, and to the port registration office, which notifies the ship's registry office to annotate the register.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تسلم صورة من محضر الحجز لربان السفينة، أو لمن يقوم مقامه، وصورة ثانية للسلطة المختصة في الميناء الذي وقع فيه الحجز؛ لمنع السفينة من السفر، وثالثة لمكتب التسجيل في الميناء المذكور، على أن يبلغ هذا المكتب مكتب تسجيل السفينة للتأشير به في السجل.
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 78 explained in plain English
This article regulates how a precautionary attachment is carried out in practice, by distributing copies of the attachment report to three bodies:
- The master of the ship or his substitute, so that he knows of the attachment.
- The competent authority at the port where the attachment took place, to prevent the ship from sailing.
- The registration office at that port, which in turn notifies the ship's registry office to annotate the attachment in the register.
This gives the attachment its effect: the ship cannot leave, and the attachment appears in its register so that anyone dealing in the ship will know of it. Article 77 deals with the case where a charterer or non-owner is liable for the maritime debt.
Delivery of the report to the master has another important consequence, since Article 79 provides that the creditor must file the action on the debt and on the validity of the attachment within eight days of delivering the report to the master or his substitute. A creditor or ship operator should follow these steps with a lawyer who specializes in maritime and commercial law.
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 78 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
To whom are copies of the ship attachment report delivered?
To the master of the ship or his substitute, to the competent port authority, and to the registration office at the port.
How is an attached ship prevented from sailing?
By delivering a copy of the attachment report to the competent authority at the port where the attachment took place, to prevent the ship from sailing.
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.