Article 184 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 184 من نظام العمل · الباب الحادي عشر: عقد العمل البحري
Article 184 requires the shipowner to repatriate a seaman to his country in 6 specific cases, including canceling the voyage, removal for illness or injury, sale of the ship abroad, or dismissal without legal justification.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يلتزم المجهز بترحيل البحار إلى بلده في الحالات الآتية:
1 - إذا ألغي السفر بفعل مجهز السفينة بعد قيام السفينة.
2 - إذا ألغي السفر بعد إبحار السفينة، بسبب منع التجارة مع الجهة التي عينت لسفرها.
3 - إذا أخرج البحار من السفينة بسبب إصابته بمرض، أو جرح، أو عاهة.
4 - إذا بيعت السفينة في بلد أجنبي.
5 - إذا عزل البحار من الخدمة أثناء السفر من غير مسوغ نظامي.
6 - إذا انتهى العقد المبرم مع البحار في ميناء غير الميناء الذي نص عليه 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 184 explained in plain English
Article 184 of the Labor Law deals with the relationship between the seaman and the shipowner, and is the last of the maritime work provisions before the Part on work in mines and quarries begins with Article 185. The article sets a clear protective rule: if the seaman finds himself far from his country because of a circumstance beyond his control or by the act of the shipowner, the shipowner is the one bound to return him to his country.
The six cases in which the shipowner is bound to repatriate are:
- Cancellation of the voyage by the shipowner's own act after the ship has set out.
- Cancellation of the voyage after sailing because of a ban on trade with the party the ship was heading to.
- Removal of the seaman from the ship because of illness, wound or disability.
- Sale of the ship in a foreign country.
- Dismissal of the seaman from service during the voyage without a legal justification.
- Termination of the contract at a port other than the port provided for in the contract.
How does it relate to Article 183? Article 183 sets the general rule on expiry or termination of the contract: returning the seaman to the port from which he traveled, while providing his food and lodging until he arrives. Article 184 deals with special cases in which the contract may not have ended in the natural way, such as illness, arbitrary dismissal or sale of the ship, and makes the obligation in them repatriation to the seaman's country.
What to pay attention to:
- The fifth case is conditional on the dismissal being without a legal justification; if the dismissal has a legitimate legal reason, this case does not apply in itself.
- The first case requires that the cancellation be by the shipowner's act, and the second requires that its cause be a ban on trade with the destination party.
- The article does not address other cases not mentioned, and does not detail the mechanism or period of repatriation.
A seaman who finds himself in one of these cases and whose shipowner refuses to repatriate him is advised to keep his contract, travel documents and whatever proves the incident, and to consult a lawyer specialized in labor cases to decide on the appropriate steps.
Practical example
Ahmed works as a seaman for a shipping company in Jeddah under a contract providing that his voyage ends at the port of Jeddah. While the ship was at a foreign port, the company sold it to a new owner and ended the crew's services there. Under paragraph 4 of Article 184, the shipowner must repatriate Ahmed to his country, and he may not be left at the foreign port to arrange his own return. Had Ahmed been removed from the ship at that port because of an injury or illness, paragraph 3 of the same article would have applied to him.
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 contentA question about Article 184 of Labor Law?
Describe what happened and specialist lawyers answer. You can write in English.
- Completely free
- Lawyers from the directory answer
- Your name stays hidden
Labour & Employment Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Labour & Employment Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
شركة امتداد النظام للمحاماة والاستشارات المهنية
- Labour & Employment Law
- Criminal Law
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 184 of the Saudi Labor Law
Who is bound to repatriate a seaman to his country under Article 184 of the Labor Law?
The shipowner is the one bound, in the six cases the article specified, including canceling the voyage by his act, removing the seaman for illness or injury, or sale of the ship in a foreign country.
Is a seaman entitled to repatriation if he is dismissed during the voyage?
Yes. If the seaman is dismissed from service during the voyage without a legal justification, the shipowner is bound to repatriate him to his country under paragraph 5 of Article 184.
What is the difference between Article 183 and Article 184 of the Labor Law?
Article 183 requires the employer, on expiry or termination of the contract, to return the seaman to the port from which he traveled and provide his food and lodging, while Article 184 specifies six special cases in which the shipowner must repatriate the seaman to his country.
Does repatriation cover a seaman removed from the ship because of illness?
Yes. Paragraph 3 of Article 184 provides that the shipowner is bound to repatriate the seaman if he is removed from the ship because of illness, wound or disability.
More articles on Maritime Work and Mining
- Article 147
The article requires employers in remote places, mines, quarries and oil exploration centers to provide workers with housing, camps and meals, on conditions set by the Minister.
يلزم صاحب العمل الذي يؤدي عملًا في الأماكن البعيدة عن العمران، وفي المناجم والمحاجر ومراكز التنقيب عن النفط بتوفير المساكن والمخيمات والوجبات الغذائية للعمال. و
- Article 168Amended by M/44
Article 168 provides that the terms ship, shipowner, master, seaman and maritime work contract in this Part have the meanings given in the Commercial Maritime Law.
يقصد بألفاظ وعبارات (السفينة، ومجهز السفينة، والربان، والبحار، وعقد العمل البحري) أينما وردت في هذا الباب المعاني المبينة حيالها في النظام البحري التجاري.
- Article 169
Article 169 provides that everyone who works on board a ship, whatever his capacity, is subject to the master's authority and must carry out his orders.
يخضع جميع من يعمل على ظهر السفينة لسلطة ربانها وأوامره.
- Article 170
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.
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
- Article 171
Article 171 sets the mandatory particulars a maritime work contract must contain and requires it to be drawn up in three copies: for the shipowner, for the master on board the ship, and for the seaman.
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
- Article 172
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.
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 وقواع
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.