Article 92 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 92 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الأول: المالك والمجهز
The ship's owner or operator is civilly liable for the acts of the master, the seamen, the pilot and all persons in the ship's service committed in the course of or because of their duties, and for the master's contracts within his powers.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يسأل مالك السفينة أو مجهزها مدنيًّا عن أفعال الربان والبحارة والمرشد وأي شخص آخر في خدمة السفينة إذا وقعت منهم أثناء تأدية وظائفهم أو بسببها، ويُسأل أيضاً عن التزامات الربان الناشئة عن العقود التي يبرمها في حدود السلطات المخولة له.
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 92 explained in plain English
This article establishes the civil liability of the ship's owner or operator for his subordinates. The operator, under Article 1, is the person who operates the ship for his own account, whether as owner, charterer or manager of a jointly owned ship.
First: liability for acts. The owner or operator is liable for the acts of:
- The master and the seamen.
- The pilot.
- Any other person in the service of the ship.
provided these acts occur in the course of performing their duties or because of them; what they do outside that is not covered by this article.
Second: liability for the master's contracts. The owner or operator is also liable for the master's obligations arising from contracts he concludes within the powers conferred on him.
The liability here is civil, that is, liability for compensation. It does not mean liability without limit, since Article 93 provides that the liability of the ship's owner is limited in accordance with the international conventions on limitation of liability for maritime claims to which the Kingdom has acceded. A person harmed by the act of a member of a ship's crew should consult a lawyer who specializes in maritime law and compensation.
Practical example
While a ship was moored at the port of Dammam, a seaman negligently failed to secure a load, which fell on the equipment of a neighboring company. The injured company may claim compensation from the ship's owner or operator, because the act occurred while the seaman was performing his work.
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 92 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Is the ship's owner responsible for the seamen's mistakes?
Yes. He is civilly liable for the acts of the master, the seamen, the pilot and any person in the ship's service if they occur in the course of or because of their duties.
Is the owner bound by the contracts the master concludes?
He is liable for the master's obligations arising from contracts he concludes within the powers conferred on him.
More articles on Liability of the Ship Owner and Operator
- Article 93
The liability of the ship's owner is limited in accordance with the international conventions on limitation of liability for maritime claims to which the Kingdom has acceded.
تحدد مسؤولية مالك السفينة طبقاً للاتفاقيات الدولية المتعلقة بتحديد المسؤولية عن المطالبات البحرية التي انضمت إليها المملكة.
- Article 94
The article sets out the six kinds of claims in which a ship's owner may limit his liability, such as death, injury, loss of property, damage to port installations, delay and wreck removal.
لمالك السفينة أن يحدد مسؤوليته إذا كانت الدعوى ناشئة عن أحد الأسباب الآتية: 1- الوفاة أو الإصابة التي تلحق الأشخاص الموجودين على متن السفينة بقصد نقلهم، والهلاك
- Article 95
A ship's owner may not limit his liability for intentional damage or reckless neglect with awareness of damage, salvage and general average claims, the rights of crew members and their heirs, and pollution damage.
لا يجوز لمالك السفينة تحديد مسؤوليته وفقاً لحكم المادة (الرابعة والتسعين) إذا كانت الدعوى ناشئة عن أحد الأسباب الآتية: 1- الضرر الناشئ عن فعلٍ أو امتناعٍ عن فعل
- Article 96
Limitation of liability applies to the balance after set-off between the owner's debt and the creditor's debt from the same incident, and execution against the owner's property is barred if the compensation sum is placed at the creditor's disposal or an acceptable guarantee is provided.
1- إذا نشأ لمالك السفينة المدين دين قبل أحد الدائنين في حادث واحد، فلا يسري تحديد المسؤولية إلا بالنسبة إلى المبلغ الباقي بعد إجراء المقاصة بين الدينين. 2- لا ي
- Article 97
If the ship's owner pays one of the debts before the compensation sums are distributed, he is subrogated to the creditor to the extent of what he paid, and the court may, at his request, hold back part of the sums for a debt he proves he may become liable for.
1- إذا وفى مالك السفينة أحد الديون التي يُجرى التوزيع بينها قبل توزيع المبالغ المخصصة للتعويضات، جاز له أن يحلّ محل صاحب الدين في التوزيع بمقدار المبلغ الذي وفا
- Article 98
No liability action against the ship's owner is heard after two years from the date of the act giving rise to the liability, without prejudice to rights arising from death or bodily injury.
مع عدم الإخلال بالحقوق الناشئة عن الوفاة أو الإصابة البدنية، لا تسمع الدعوى بالمسؤولية على مالك السفينة بعد مضي سنتين من تاريخ وقوع الفعل المنشئ للمسؤولية.
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.