Article 36 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
المادة 36 من نظام قانون الجمارك الموحد لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية · الفصل الأول: الاستيراد: 1- النقل بحراً
The land carrier or his representative must prepare a signed cargo manifest for each load and submit it to the customs district immediately on arrival.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
أ - ينظم بكل حمولة "المنافست" وسيلة النقل البرية بيان حمولة "منافست" يوقعه الناقل أو من يمثله متضمنا معلومات كافية عن وسيلة النقل وحمولتها وجميع البيانات الأخرى وفق الشروط التي يحددها المدير العام.
ب - على ناقلي البضائع أو من يمثلهم تقديم بيان الحمولة "المنافست" إلى الدائرة الجمركية فور وصولهم إليها.
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 36 explained in plain English
This article regulates the cargo manifest in land transport, the document containing a comprehensive description of the goods loaded.
First: preparing the manifest
- A cargo manifest is prepared for each load of the land means of transport.
- It is signed by the carrier or his representative. Under the Law's definitions, the carrier is the owner of the means of transport or whoever acts in his place under official authorization.
- It contains sufficient information about the means of transport and its load and all other particulars, under the conditions set by the Director General; the article does not state the details of these conditions.
Second: submitting the manifest
Carriers of goods, or their representatives, must submit the manifest to the customs district immediately on their arrival at it. The article gives no later period for submission, but requires the manifest to be ready on arrival.
This provision is linked to Article 35, which requires the procedures for goods arriving by land to be completed at the first customs district. Anyone working in international land transport who is subject to a violation over the manifest is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in customs and commercial matters.
Practical example
A transport company in Riyadh sends a truck with goods from a neighboring country. The company's representative signs the cargo manifest containing the truck's particulars and its load, and the driver submits it to the customs district at the crossing immediately on arrival.
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 36 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
Who signs the land truck manifest?
The carrier or his representative.
When is the land cargo manifest submitted to customs?
Immediately when the carrier arrives at the customs district.
What does the land manifest contain?
Sufficient information about the means of transport and its load and all other particulars, 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 32
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.
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 إش
- 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
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.