Article 91 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 91 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الثاني: الحجز التنفيذي والبيع الجبري
If a ship is sold compulsorily as a result of its attachment, the person to whom the auction is awarded is not bound by the employment contracts of the master or the seamen working on it.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا بيعت السفينة جبراً نتيجة الحجز عليها فلا يلتزم من رسا عليه المزاد بعقود عمل ربان السفينة أو البحارة الذين يعملون عليها.
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 91 explained in plain English
This article protects the buyer of a ship in a compulsory sale from obligations tied to the employment contracts existing on the ship. If the ship is sold compulsorily as a result of its attachment, the person to whom the auction is awarded:
- is not bound by the employment contract of the ship's master.
- nor by the employment contracts of the seamen working on it.
The buyer takes the ship without being obliged to keep the previous crew employed on the same terms. This encourages participation in auctions, since a bidder knows he is buying the ship free of employment contracts to which he was not a party.
This does not mean that the seamen's rights lapse; the article speaks only of the buyer not being bound by the contracts. It does not address how seamen recover what is owed to them. Article 90 regulates actions of entitlement and nullity of the attachment before the auction. A seaman affected by a compulsory sale may consult a lawyer who specializes in maritime law to learn how to claim his dues.
Practical example
A cargo ship at the port of Jeddah was sold at auction after being attached, and it had a master and crew under contracts in force. The company to which the auction was awarded is not bound to continue these contracts and may engage a new crew.
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 91 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Must the buyer of a ship at auction keep the crew?
No. If the ship is sold compulsorily as a result of its attachment, the person to whom the auction is awarded is not bound by the employment contracts of the master or the seamen.
Are seamen's wages lost if the ship is sold at auction?
The article concerns only the buyer not being bound by the employment contracts, and does not provide that the seamen's dues lapse.
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.