Article 183 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 183 من نظام العمل · الباب الحادي عشر: عقد العمل البحري
On expiry or termination of a seaman's contract, the article requires the employer to return him to the port from which he traveled and provide his food and lodging until he reaches it.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يلتزم صاحب العمل في حالة انقضاء العقد أو فسخه بما يأتي:
1 - أن يعيد البحار إلى الميناء الذي سافر منه عند بدء تنفيذ العقد.
2 - أن يتكفل بغذائه ونومه حتى بلوغه ذلك الميناء.
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 183 explained in plain English
This article deals with the stage after a maritime work contract ends, and aims to protect the seaman from being left at a distant port with no means of returning and no support. It imposes two clear obligations on the employer once the contract has ended, whether it expired by the end of its term or the end of the voyage, or was terminated early:
- Returning the seaman to the port from which he traveled when performance of the contract began, that is, the original starting point from which he joined the ship, not any other port the employer chooses.
- Providing his food and lodging throughout the period from the end of the contract until he reaches that port, so the seaman does not bear the cost of his accommodation or food during the waiting period or the journey.
Note that the text is general: it applies in the case of both expiry and termination, and does not limit the obligation to a particular reason for the contract ending or to who initiated its ending.
The picture is completed by reading the article with those around it:
- Article 182 allows the employer to end the contract without prior notice or compensation if the voyage is canceled before it begins for a reason beyond the shipowner's control and pay was on the basis of the single voyage; even in this case the matter is still the ending of the contract, so the obligations that follow from it are considered.
- Article 184 goes further than merely returning to the port of departure, requiring the shipowner to repatriate the seaman to his country in 6 specific cases, including removing him from the ship because of illness, wound or disability, sale of the ship in a foreign country, dismissing him during the voyage without a legal justification, and the contract ending at a port other than the one provided for in it.
Article 183 is thus the general rule (return to the port of departure with subsistence), while Article 184 is a special rule for particular cases requiring repatriation to the home country. If the employer fails to meet these two obligations, the seaman may claim his right, and in complicated cases it is advisable to consult a lawyer specialized in labor cases.
Practical example
Salem started work as a seaman on a cargo ship belonging to a company in Dammam, and performance of his contract began with sailing from King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam. After several months the contract term ended while the ship was anchored at a foreign port. Under Article 183, the company may not leave him there to arrange his own return; it must return him to the port of Dammam from which he set out, and bear the cost of his food and lodging from the end of the contract until he reaches that port, whether he waits days at the foreign port or the return journey takes time.
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 183 of the Saudi Labor Law
To where must the employer return the seaman when the contract ends?
To the port from which the seaman traveled when performance of the contract began, as provided in paragraph 1 of Article 183 of the Labor Law.
Who bears the seaman's food and lodging costs after the contract ends and before he returns?
The employer, as paragraph 2 of Article 183 requires it to provide the seaman's food and lodging until he reaches the port from which he traveled.
Does this obligation apply if the contract was terminated before it ended?
Yes. Article 183 expressly mentions both cases, expiry and termination of the contract, with no distinction between them as to the obligation of return and subsistence.
What is the difference between Article 183 and Article 184 of the Labor Law?
Article 183 requires the employer to return the seaman to the port of departure in all cases of the contract ending, while Article 184 requires the shipowner to repatriate the seaman to his country in 6 specific cases, such as removing him because of illness or the sale of the ship in a foreign country.
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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.