Article 80 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 80 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الأول: الحجز التحفظي
The debtor may appeal the judgment upholding the attachment of the ship, whatever the amount of the debt, within fifteen days of being notified of the judgment.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجوز للمدين الطعن في الحكم الصادر بصحة الحجز أيًّا كان مقدار الدين المدعى به خلال خمسة عشر يوماً من تاريخ تبليغه بالحكم.
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 80 explained in plain English
This article gives the debtor the right to appeal the judgment upholding the attachment of the ship, and sets two rules for this:
- The amount of the debt is irrelevant: an appeal is allowed whatever the amount of the debt claimed, so it is not barred because the sum is small.
- The period: the appeal must be made within fifteen days of the date the debtor is notified of the judgment, not from the date it was issued.
This provision follows the stage regulated by Article 79, under which the creditor files the action on the debt and on the validity of the attachment within eight days of delivering the attachment report to the master. If the judgment upholds the attachment, the debtor may appeal it within the stated period.
The article does not specify the body to which the appeal is submitted or its procedures, so the applicable procedural laws govern. Article 81 regulates lifting the attachment by providing a guarantee or sufficient security. Because the period is fixed, the debtor should consult a lawyer who specializes in maritime and commercial law as soon as he is notified of the judgment.
Practical example
A judgment was issued upholding the attachment of a company's ship in Dammam, and the company was notified of the judgment at the start of the month. It may appeal within fifteen days of the date of notification, even if the debt is small.
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 80 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What is the time limit for appealing a judgment upholding a ship attachment?
Fifteen days from the date the debtor is notified of the judgment.
Can I appeal if the debt is small?
Yes. An appeal is allowed whatever the amount of the debt claimed.
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.