Article 45 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
المادة 45 من نظام قانون الجمارك الموحد لدول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية · الفصل الرابع: أحكام مشتركة
The provisions of Articles 32, 33 and 34 on sea transport apply to land and air transport for unloading and transfer between means of transport, and drivers, aircraft commanders and transport companies are liable for shortages.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تسري أحكام المواد (32 ، 33 ، 34) من هذا النظام "القانون" والمتعلقة بالنقل بحرا على النقل برا وجوا فيما يتعلق بتفريغ البضائع ونقلها من وسيلة نقل إلى أخرى . ويكون السائقون وقائدو الطائرات وشركات النقل مسؤولين عن النقص في حالة النقل البري والجوي.
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 45 explained in plain English
This article extends the sea transport provisions to land and air transport in two specific matters: unloading goods and transferring them from one means of transport to another.
The articles that apply: Articles 32, 33 and 34 of the law. Among them is Article 32, which provides that unloading may take place only within the customs area, and that no goods may be unloaded or transferred from one means of transport to another except under the supervision of the customs department and on the conditions set by the Director General. These rules therefore apply to trucks and aircraft as well.
Liability for shortages: The article expressly provides that drivers, aircraft commanders and transport companies are liable for shortages in the case of land and air transport. In place of the ship's master and agent in sea transport, on land the driver and the transport company bear liability, and in the air the aircraft commander and the transport company.
The article does not set out here the details of proving the cause of a shortage or the deadlines for submitting documents, but refers to Articles 33 and 34, whose texts should be consulted for them. Anyone facing a claim over a shortage in a land or air shipment would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in customs and commercial matters.
Practical example
A land transport company in Dammam carried a shipment to a border crossing, and on unloading a number of cartons were found missing against the cargo statement. The company and its driver are liable for this shortage under this article.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentCivil Litigation & Compensation lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Civil Litigation & Compensation lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Abdullah Al-Saleh Law Office for Law and Legal Consultancy
Frequently asked questions about Article 45 of the Saudi GCC Unified Customs Law
Who is liable for shortages of goods in land transport?
Drivers and transport companies.
Who is liable for shortages in air freight?
Aircraft commanders and transport companies.
May trucks be unloaded outside customs supervision?
No. The provisions of Article 32 apply to land and air transport for unloading and transfer from one means of transport to another.
Articles this article refers to
- 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
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.