Article 170 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 170 من نظام العمل · الباب الحادي عشر: عقد العمل البحري
Article 170 requires seamen's work contracts to be recorded in the ship's registers or attached to them, written clearly, and to state whether they are for a fixed term or a voyage, with its end specified.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجب أن تسجل في سجلات السفينة أو أن تلحق بها جميع عقود عمل البحارة العاملين عليها، وأن تكون هذه العقود محررة بصيغة واضحة. ويجب أن ينص في العقد على ما إذا كان معقودًا لمدة محددة أو لسفرة، فإذا كان معقودًا لمدة محددة حددت المدة بصورة واضحة، وإذا كان لسفرة حددت المدينة أو المرفأ البحري الذي تنتهي عنده السفرة، وفي أي مرحلة من مراحل تفريغ السفينة أو تحميلها في هذا المرفأ ينتهي العقد.
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 170 explained in plain English
Article 170 of the Labor Law regulates the form the maritime work contract must take, which is the contract linking the seaman to the shipowner. It aims for the contract to be documented on the ship itself and understood by both parties, so that they do not disagree about when the seaman's commitment begins and ends.
The article imposes three basic obligations:
- Recording: all contracts of the seamen working on the ship must be recorded in its registers or attached to those registers; it is not enough for the contract to stay in the shipowner's office on land.
- Clarity: the contract must be drafted clearly, in a form that leaves no room for ambiguity.
- Stating the type of contract and its end: the contract must state expressly whether it is for a fixed term or for a single voyage. If for a fixed term, that term must be clearly specified; if for a voyage, the city or seaport at which the voyage ends must be specified, and at what stage of unloading or loading the ship at that port the contract ends.
This article is completed by what is in Article 171, which lists the detailed particulars that must be stated in the contract (the date and place it was concluded, the shipowner's name, the seaman's details, the type of work, the maritime certificate, the pay and the term), and requires that the contract be drawn up in three copies: one for the shipowner, one kept by the master on board the ship, and one for the seaman. The copy kept by the master is the practical application of the requirement to record the contract in the ship's registers or attach it, in Article 170. The article is also linked to Article 169, which subjects everyone working on board the ship to the master's authority and orders, since having the contracts on the ship lets the master know each seaman's obligations and how long he stays.
In practice, the seaman is entitled to ask for his copy of the contract and to make sure the contract clearly specifies either its term or the port and the unloading or loading stage at which it ends. If a vague contract is signed or it is not recorded on the ship, it is appropriate to consult a lawyer specialized in labor cases to assess the situation.
Practical example
A shipping company in Jeddah contracted with the seaman Salem to work on one of its ships for a single voyage. Under Article 170 it is not enough to write in the contract "to work on the coming trip"; the contract must specify that the voyage ends, for example, at the port of Dammam, and that the contract ends when unloading of the cargo at that port is complete. This contract must be recorded in the ship's registers or attached to them, and the master must keep a copy of it on board the ship under Article 171, in addition to Salem's copy and the company's copy. In this way Salem knows precisely when his obligations end, and is not required to continue working after that stage without a new contract.
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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Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 170 of the Saudi Labor Law
Where must a seaman's work contract be kept?
Article 170 requires seamen's contracts to be recorded in the ship's registers or attached to them, and Article 171 adds that the contract is drawn up in three copies, one of which the master keeps on board the ship.
Can a maritime work contract be for a single voyage only?
Yes. Article 170 allows the contract to be for a fixed term or for a voyage, but for a voyage the city or port at which the voyage ends must be specified, and at what stage of unloading or loading at that port the contract ends.
What if the contract is for a fixed term?
If the seaman's contract is concluded for a fixed term, Article 170 requires that term to be clearly specified in the contract.
What other particulars must a maritime work contract contain?
They are set out in Article 171, including the date and place the contract was concluded, the shipowner's name, the seaman's name, age, nationality and domicile, the type of work, the maritime certificate, the personal maritime ticket, the amount of pay and the contract term.
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يجب أن ينص في عقد العمل البحري على تاريخ إبرامه ومكانه، واسم المجهز، واسم البحار ولقبه وسنه وجنسيته وموطنه، ونوع العمل المكلف به، وكيفية أدائه، والشهادة التي تت
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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.