Article 85 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 85 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الثاني: الحجز التنفيذي والبيع الجبري
If the judge orders the compulsory sale of the ship, his order must fix the base price, the conditions of sale and the days on which the compulsory sale auction is held.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا أمر القاضي بالبيع وجب أن يحدد الثمن الأساسي، وشروط البيع، والأيام التي تُجرى فيها مزايدة البيع الجبري.
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 85 explained in plain English
This article specifies what the judge's order for the compulsory sale of a ship must contain. There are three elements:
- The base price: the amount from which the bidding starts.
- The conditions of sale: the terms under which the sale is carried out.
- The auction days: the dates on which the compulsory sale auction is held.
The purpose is for the sale to be clear and announced to bidders, while also protecting the rights of the debtor and the creditors by preventing the ship from being sold below its value without control.
The following articles complete the sale procedures. Article 86 provides that the sale takes place after two sessions separated by seven days, the highest bid in the first session being accepted provisionally and taken as the base price in the second. This is preceded by the delivery of copies of the attachment report to the bodies concerned under Article 84. Anyone interested in buying at the auction, and the debtor, should consult a lawyer who specializes in enforcement and maritime 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 85 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
What does the judge fix when he orders the sale of a ship?
The base price, the conditions of sale, and the days on which the compulsory sale auction is held.
How is a ship attached for enforcement sold?
By auction in a compulsory sale, according to the base price, conditions and days fixed by the judge in his order.
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.