Article 79 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 79 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الأول: الحجز التحفظي
The creditor must file the action on the debt and on the validity of the attachment before the competent court within eight days of delivering the attachment report to the master, otherwise the attachment is void and the operator may seek its cancellation.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على الدائن أن يرفع الدعوى بالدين وبصحة الحجز أمام المحكمة المختصة التي وقع الحجز في نطاقها خلال الثمانية أيام التالية لتسليم محضر الحجز إلى الربان أو من يقوم مقامه، وإلا عُدّ الحجز كأن لم يكن، ويحق لمجهز السفينة أو من ينيبه استصدار أمر قضائي بإلغاء الحجز.
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 79 explained in plain English
This article imposes on the creditor who has attached a ship on a precautionary basis a short deadline for filing his action, because the attachment prevents the ship from sailing and cannot be left hanging.
- What does the creditor file? An action on the debt and on the validity of the attachment.
- Before whom? The competent court within whose jurisdiction the attachment took place.
- When? Within the eight days following delivery of the attachment report to the master or his substitute.
If the creditor does not file the action within this period, the attachment is treated as if it had never been made, and the ship's operator or whoever he authorizes may obtain a court order cancelling the attachment.
The start of the period is tied to Article 78, which requires a copy of the attachment report to be delivered to the master or his substitute. Article 80 provides that the debtor may appeal the judgment upholding the attachment within fifteen days of being notified of it. Because the period is short, the creditor should coordinate in advance with a lawyer who specializes in maritime and commercial law.
Practical example
A company obtained an order for a precautionary attachment of a ship at the port of Jeddah, and the report was delivered to the master on Sunday. If the company does not file its action on the debt and on the validity of the attachment within eight days, the attachment is treated as if it had never been made and the operator may seek an order cancelling it.
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 79 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What is the deadline for filing the action on the validity of a ship attachment?
Eight days following delivery of the attachment report to the master or his substitute.
What happens if the creditor does not file the action within the deadline?
The attachment is treated as if it had never been made, and the ship's operator or whoever he authorizes may obtain a court order cancelling it.
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.