Article 93 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
المادة 93 من النظام البحري التجاري · الفصل الأول: المالك والمجهز
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تحدد مسؤولية مالك السفينة طبقاً للاتفاقيات الدولية المتعلقة بتحديد المسؤولية عن المطالبات البحرية التي انضمت إليها المملكة.
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 93 explained in plain English
This article establishes the principle of limitation of the ship owner's liability: his liability for maritime claims is not unlimited but is subject to limits.
The article does not set these limits itself but refers to the international conventions on limitation of liability for maritime claims to which the Kingdom has acceded. The reference for the amount of the limit and the way it is calculated is those conventions, and this article states no figures or details.
The importance of this provision follows Article 92, which makes the owner or operator civilly liable for the acts of the master, the seamen, the pilot and those in the ship's service; limitation balances that wide liability. Article 94 sets out the actions in which the owner may limit his liability, such as death or injury, damage to port installations and losses caused by delay.
Because applying the limits of liability requires referring to the texts of the international conventions and applying them to the facts of each incident, anyone facing a maritime claim, whether owner or injured party, should consult a lawyer who specializes in maritime and commercial 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 93 of the Saudi Commercial Maritime Law
Is the liability of a ship's owner unlimited?
No. It is limited in accordance with the international conventions on limitation of liability for maritime claims to which the Kingdom has acceded.
Where do I find the limits of a ship owner's liability?
The article refers to the international conventions to which the Kingdom has acceded, and it does not state the limits in its text.
More articles on Liability of the Ship Owner and Operator
- Article 92
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.
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 ال
- 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.