Article 32 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
المادة 32 من نظام قانون الجمارك الموحد لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية · الفصل الأول: الاستيراد: 1- النقل بحراً
Ships' cargo may not be unloaded except in the customs district at the port and under its supervision, and unloading and transfer between ships are carried out under the Director General's conditions.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
أ - لا يجوز تفريغ حمولة السفن وجميع وسائط النقل المائية الأخرى إلا في الدائرة الجمركية في الميناء. ولا يجوز تفريغ أي بضاعة أو نقلها من سفينة إلى أخرى إلا تحت إشراف الدائرة الجمركية .
ب - يتم التفريغ والنقل من سفينة إلى أخرى وفق الشروط المحددة من المدير العام.
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 32 explained in plain English
This article regulates the place and method of unloading ships' cargo.
- The place of unloading: the cargo of ships and all other waterborne means of transport may not be unloaded except in the customs district at the port. Under the Law's definitions, the customs district is the area the Minister determines at each port, in which all or some of the customs procedures are licensed to be completed.
- Supervision: no good may be unloaded or transferred from one ship to another except under the supervision of the customs district.
- The detailed conditions: unloading and transfer between ships are carried out under the conditions set by the Director General (the Director General of Customs); the article does not state these conditions.
The rule covers ships and all other waterborne means of transport, and covers transferring goods between ships even if they are not unloaded onto land. This is linked to Article 33, which makes the ship's master or agent liable for shortages in packages or their contents until the goods are received at the warehouses or storage facilities or by their owners, and to Article 31 on endorsing the manifest of certain ships.
Anyone facing liability because of unloading carried out outside the customs district would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in customs and commercial matters.
Practical example
A commercial ship arrives at Jeddah port and wants to transfer some of its containers to another ship heading for a different port. This transfer is permitted only under the supervision of the customs district at the port and under the conditions set by the Director General.
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 32 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
Where may ships' cargo be unloaded?
Only in the customs district at the port.
May goods be transferred from one ship to another without customs knowing?
No. This is permitted only under the supervision of the customs district and under the Director General's conditions.
More articles on Cargo Manifest, Imports and Exports
- Article 20
Article 20 prohibits sea transport vessels entering the State from anchoring anywhere other than ports prepared to receive them, except in an emergency maritime circumstance or force majeure, and requires the master to notify the nearest customs district or security post without delay.
يحظر على وسائل النقل البحرية التي تدخل الدولة مهما كانت حمولتها الاستيعابية أن ترسو في غير الموانئ المعدة لاستقبالها، إلا في ظرف بحري طارئ أو بسبب قوة قاهرة، وع
- Article 30
Article 30 requires every good arriving by sea to be recorded in the cargo manifest, signed by the master and containing specified details, and presented with other documents within thirty-six hours of entering the port.
أ - تسجل في بيان الحمولة "المنافست" كل بضاعة ترد إلى الدولة عن طريق البحر. ب - يجب أن ينظم بكل الحمولة بيان واحد يوقعه ربان السفينة، متضمنا المعلومات التالية :
- Article 31
Article 31 requires the cargo manifest of vessels that do not make regular voyages, have no shipping agent at the port, or are sailing vessels, to be endorsed by the customs of the port of loading.
إذا كان بيان الحمولة "المنافست" عائدا لسفينة لا تقوم برحلات منتظمة أو ليس لها وكيل ملاحة في الميناء، أو كانت من المراكب الشراعية، فيجب أن يكون مؤشرا عليه من الس
- Article 33
The ship's master, agent or representative is liable for shortages in packages, their contents or bulk goods until the goods are received at the warehouses, storage facilities or by their owners, subject to Article 54.
يكون ربان السفينة أو وكيلها أو من يمثله مسؤولا عن النقص في عدد القطع أو الطرود، أو في محتوياتها، أو في مقدار البضائع الفرط، إلى حين استلام البضائع في المخازن ال
- Article 34
If the packages unloaded or bulk goods fall short of the manifest, the master states the reason and proves with documents that it occurred outside the maritime customs zone, and may be given up to six months against a guarantee.
إذا تحقق نقص في عدد القطع أو الطرود المفرغة عما هو مدرج في بيان الحمولة "المنافست" أو في مقدار البضائع الفرط، فعلى ربان السفينة أو من يمثله بيان سبب هذا النقص و
- Article 35
Customs procedures for goods arriving by land are completed at the first customs district, and they may be referred to an inland customs district in the cases the Director General sees fit.
البضائع الواردة برا يجب إتمام إجراءاتها الجمركية في أول دائرة جمركية، ويجوز إحالتها لإحدى الدوائر الجمركية الداخلية في الحالات التي يراها المدير العام.
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.