Article 181 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 181 من نظام العمل · الباب الحادي عشر: عقد العمل البحري
Article 181 sets what the heirs of a seaman who dies during the voyage are owed of his pay according to how it is calculated, and requires dues of a dead or missing seaman to be deposited with the labor office at the port of arrival.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا توفي أحد البحارة أثناء الرحلة فيكون لورثته الحق في الحصول على أجره إلى يوم وفاته إذا كان الأجر بحسب الشهر، أما إذا كان أجره يحسب بالرحلة فيحق للورثة تسلم أجره عن الرحلة كاملة. وإذا كان الأجر حصة في الأرباح، فإنها تستحق بأكملها. وتودع المبالغ المستحقة للبحار المتوفى، أو المفقود، أو الذي يتعذر عليه التسلم، لدى مكتب العمل في ميناء الوصول في المملكة.
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 181 explained in plain English
Article 181 of the Labor Law regulates the rights of the heirs of a seaman who dies during a sea voyage, specifying what they are owed of his pay according to how it is calculated, and explaining where these sums are kept until their entitled recipients receive them.
Whom does the text protect? The heirs of the deceased seaman, and also the seaman who is missing or who is unable to receive his dues. The party bound is the employer (the shipowner), who must pay these sums and deposit them with the specified body.
What are the heirs owed? The amount differs according to the method of pay agreed in the contract:
- Monthly pay: the heirs are owed the pay only up to the day of death, that is, for the period the seaman actually worked.
- Pay by the voyage: the heirs are owed the pay for the whole voyage, even if the seaman died before it ended.
- Pay as a share of profits: the share is owed in full without reduction.
Where are the sums deposited? The article requires the sums owed to the dead or missing seaman, or one who is unable to receive them, to be deposited with the labor office at the port of arrival in the Kingdom, which ensures the right is preserved until the heirs or the seaman himself come forward.
This article is within Part Eleven on the maritime work contract, and complements Article 180, which gives the seaman a share in the reward for assisting or salvaging another ship whatever the type of his pay, and Article 182, which deals with the case of canceling the voyage before it starts when pay is on the basis of a single voyage. Note that the Law takes account of the particular nature of pay by the voyage in both cases: it protects it in full for the heirs at death in Article 181, and it permits terminating the contract without notice or compensation when the voyage is canceled for a reason beyond the shipowner's control in Article 182, unless the contract provides otherwise.
If there is a dispute about how pay is calculated or about who is entitled to receive the sums, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in labor cases.
Practical example
Ahmed works as a seaman on a ship belonging to a shipping company in Jeddah, and his contract provides that his pay is calculated per single voyage. During a sea voyage Ahmed died before the ship reached its destination. Under Article 181, his heirs are owed the pay for the whole voyage, not a part of it. As for his colleague Khalid, whose pay was monthly, had he died in the same circumstances his heirs would be owed his pay only up to the day of death. In both cases the company deposits the sums due with the labor office at the port of arrival in the Kingdom so that the heirs may receive them.
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 181 of the Saudi Labor Law
What are a seaman's heirs owed if he dies during the voyage and his pay was monthly?
The heirs are owed the seaman's pay only up to the day of his death, according to Article 181 of the Labor Law.
Are a seaman's heirs owed the pay for the whole voyage if he died before it ended?
Yes. If his pay was calculated by the voyage, the heirs are entitled to receive the pay for the whole voyage, and if his pay was a share of profits, it is owed in full.
Where are the dues of a dead or missing seaman deposited?
The sums owed to the dead or missing seaman, or one who is unable to receive them, are deposited with the labor office at the port of arrival in the Kingdom.
Does Article 181 cover a missing seaman?
Yes. The article provides for depositing the sums owed to a missing seaman, as well as one who is unable to receive them, with the labor office at the port of arrival.
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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.