Article 41 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
المادة 41 من نظام قانون الجمارك الموحد لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية · الفصل الثاني: التصدير
Owners of goods transport means or their agents, on leaving the State, loaded or empty, must submit the cargo manifest to the customs district and obtain a departure permit; the director may grant exceptions.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على مالكي وسائل نقل البضائع أو وكلائهم أثناء مغادرتهم الدولة -سواء كانت محملة أو فارغة - أن يقدموا إلى الدائرة الجمركية بيان الحمولة "المنافست" مطابقا لأحكام الفصل الأول من هذا الباب ، والحصول على ترخيص بالمغادرة ، ويجوز للمدير الاستثناء من هذا الشرط في بعض الحالات .
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 41 explained in plain English
This article regulates the departure procedures for goods transport means leaving the State.
Those bound: the owners of goods transport means or their agents.
When: on leaving the State, whether the means is loaded or empty. A truck, ship or aircraft being empty of goods does not exempt it from the procedure.
The two obligations:
- To submit the cargo manifest to the customs district, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter One of this Part.
- To obtain a departure permit.
The exception: the director (the head of the customs district, under the Law's definitions) may make an exception to this requirement in some cases. The article does not specify these cases, so they are left to his discretion.
Related to this is what Article 42 requires of exporters, to take goods intended for export to the competent customs district and declare them in detail, and the prohibition on carriers bypassing customs districts toward the land borders. Anyone facing a departure ban or a violation over the manifest is advised to consult a lawyer specializing in customs and commercial matters.
Practical example
A Saudi truck has unloaded its cargo in Riyadh and is returning empty to a neighboring country. Its owner or agent must submit the cargo manifest to the customs district at the crossing and obtain a departure permit even though it is empty, unless the district director grants an exception.
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 41 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
Must a manifest be submitted if the truck leaves empty?
Yes. The obligation covers means of transport leaving whether loaded or empty.
Can the departure permit be waived?
The director of the customs district may make an exception to this requirement in some cases.
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.