Article 172 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 172 من نظام العمل · الباب الحادي عشر: عقد العمل البحري
Article 172 requires work rules and conditions to be posted on board the ship and in the crew's section, and sets 9 mandatory elements they must contain, from wages to the end-of-service award.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجب أن تعلن في السفينة وفي القسم المخصص للعاملين فيها قواعد العمل على ظهرها وشروطه، ويجب أن تتضمن القواعد والشروط ما يأتي :
1 - التزامات البحارة وواجباتهم وقواعد تنظيم العمل على ظهر السفينة والجداول الزمنية للخدمة، وساعات العمل اليومية.
2 - واجبات مجهز السفينة تجاه البحارة، من حيث الأجور الثابتة والمكافآت، وغير ذلك من أنواع الأجر.
3 - كيفية تعليق دفع الأجور أو الحسم منها، وكيفية دفع السلف على الأجور.
4 - مكان تصفية الأجور وزمانها، وحسابها النهائي.
5 - قواعد تقديم الغذاء والمبيت وأصولها على ظهر السفينة.
6 - علاج أمراض البحارة وإصاباتهم.
7 - سلوك البحارة وشروط ترحيلهم إلي بلدهم .
8 - إجازات البحارة السنوية المدفوعة الأجر.
9 - مكافأة نهاية الخدمة وغير ذلك من التعويضات التي ستدفع بمناسبة إنهاء عقد العمل أو انتهائه.
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 172 explained in plain English
Article 172 aims to ensure transparency in the maritime work environment, where seamen spend long periods away from land and cannot easily refer to employers or documents. The article therefore requires work rules and conditions to be announced and written on board the ship, and specifically in the place assigned to those working on it, so that every seaman can read them at any time.
The party bound by this duty is the one that manages the ship and employs the seamen, which the Law calls the shipowner. The article does not stop at requiring the announcement but sets the minimum content of these rules in 9 elements:
- The seamen's obligations and duties, the organization of work on board the ship, service schedules and daily working hours.
- The shipowner's duties toward seamen in terms of fixed wages, bonuses and all other forms of pay.
- How payment of wages may be suspended or deducted from, and how advances on wages are paid out.
- The place and time of settling wages and the final account.
- The rules for providing food and lodging on board the ship.
- Treatment of seamen's illnesses and injuries.
- Seamen's conduct and the conditions for repatriating them to their country.
- Annual leave with pay.
- The end-of-service award and other compensation due when the contract is terminated or ends.
This article complements what is in Article 171, which regulates the individual maritime work contract and the particulars it must contain, such as the seaman's name, the amount of his pay and the contract term; the contract determines the position of each seaman individually, while the rules announced under Article 172 set out the general system that applies to everyone working on the ship. It is also linked to Article 173, which sets the conditions for who may be employed as a seaman (completing 18 years, obtaining a maritime service certificate, and medical fitness).
In practice, if you do not find these rules posted, or they lack one of the nine elements, you have the right to ask to see them, and consulting a lawyer specialized in labor cases is advisable when there is a dispute over wages or entitlements.
Practical example
Saeed started work as a seaman on a cargo ship belonging to a shipping company in Jeddah. In the first week he needed an advance on his wages, and did not know the procedure followed. He went to the ship's crew section and found a posted board containing the work rules and conditions, including a clause explaining how to request advances on wages and when wages are settled and the final account is made, as well as daily working hours and the rules for food, lodging and treatment and the details of the end-of-service award. In this way Saeed was able to learn his rights and duties without having to refer to the company's office on land, which is what Article 172 aims for.
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 172 of the Saudi Labor Law
Where must work rules and conditions be announced on the ship?
Article 172 requires them to be announced on the ship and in the section assigned to those working on it, so that every seaman can read them easily during the voyage.
What must the work rules announced on board the ship contain?
The article sets 9 mandatory elements covering seamen's duties and working hours, wages and bonuses, rules for deductions and advances, place and time of settling wages, food and lodging, treatment, conduct and repatriation, paid annual leave, and the end-of-service award and compensation when the contract ends.
Do the announced rules replace the written maritime work contract?
No. Article 171 requires an individual contract containing each seaman's particulars, his pay and the term of his contract, drawn up in 3 copies, while the rules announced under Article 172 set out the general system applying to everyone working on the ship.
Must the announced rules include the end-of-service award?
Yes. Item 9 of Article 172 expressly provides that the rules must include the end-of-service award and other compensation paid when the work contract is terminated or ends.
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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 معق
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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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يشترط فيمن يعمل بحارًا: 1 - أن يكون قد أتم من العمر ثماني عشرة سنة. 2 - أن يكون حاصلًا على شهادة تتيح له العمل في الخدمة البحرية. 3 - أن يكون لائقًا طبيًّا.
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.