Article 82 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 82 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الثاني: الحجز التنفيذي والبيع الجبري
Enforcement attachment of a ship may be imposed only after the debtor is formally notified to pay the debt; notice and attachment may be combined, and the notice is delivered to the owner or, for a debt against the ship, to the master.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- لا يجوز توقيع الحجز التنفيذي على السفينة إلا بعد إبلاغ المدين رسميًّا بدفع الدين، ويجوز أن يكون التبليغ وتوقيع الحجز بإبلاغ واحد.
2- يجب تسليم إشعار التبليغ للمالك، وإذا كان الأمر متعلقاً بدين على السفينة جاز تسليمه للربان، أو من يقوم مقامه.
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 82 explained in plain English
This article moves from precautionary attachment to enforcement attachment, the attachment that prepares for compulsory sale of the ship to recover the debt, and sets a basic condition for it:
- Formal notice first: enforcement attachment may be imposed only after the debtor is formally notified to pay the debt.
- Combining the two: notice and attachment may be carried out in a single notification, to shorten procedures.
As for to whom the notice is delivered, the second paragraph distinguishes two cases:
- The rule is that it is delivered to the owner.
- If the matter concerns a debt against the ship, it may be delivered to the master or his substitute, which helps when the owner is outside the Kingdom.
Other provisions follow in the same chapter: Article 83 requires the attachment report to include a summons to appear before the enforcement judge, and Article 81 regulates lifting the attachment by guarantee. A creditor seeking to enforce against a ship may engage a lawyer specializing in enforcement and maritime law.
Practical example
A Saudi company obtained a judgment for a debt against the owner of a foreign ship, and the ship is moored at King Abdulaziz Port. Because the debt relates to the ship, the notice may be delivered to the master, and the notice and the enforcement attachment may be made in a single notification.
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 82 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Can a ship be attached for enforcement without warning the debtor?
No. The debtor must first be formally notified to pay the debt, and the notice and the attachment may be made in a single notification.
Is it enough to deliver the notice to the ship's master?
The rule is delivery to the owner. It may be delivered to the master or his substitute if the matter concerns a debt against the ship.
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.