It is the establishment of regulatory frameworks aimed at ensuring the compliance of Saudi ships and the companies operating them with the necessary requirements in the field of navigation safety and the safe operation of ships, as well as preventing pollution in accordance with the provisions of Chapter Nine of the Agreement and the provisions of the Code.

1. The provisions of the Agreement and the Code, in accordance with their latest amendments, are complementary and supplementary to this Regulation.

2. The provisions of this Regulation apply to:

• A- Passenger ships, including high-speed vessels

• B- Oil tankers, chemical carriers, gas carriers, and cargo ships with a capacity of five hundred tons or more

• C- Cargo ships and mobile drilling units with a capacity of five hundred tons or more

3. This Regulation does not apply to scientific research vessels and government ships not designated for commercial purposes.

The company is committed to applying the management requirements for the safe and sound operation of ships, preventing pollution, and ensuring navigation safety as follows:

• 1) The company must establish a safety and environmental protection policy that describes how to achieve the objectives of the code, including the following practical requirements:

  • A- A safety and environmental protection policy.

  • B- Instructions and procedures to ensure the safe operation of ships and environmental protection in accordance with relevant international agreements of the flag state.

  • C- Defining levels of authority and lines of communication both onshore and onboard the ship or between them.

  • D- Procedures for reporting incidents and non-compliance with the provisions of this code.

  • E- Emergency preparedness and response procedures and the establishment of preventive measures against all known risks.

  • F- Procedures for internal auditing and administrative reviews.

  • G- Continuous improvement of safety management skills among the company's employees, whether onshore or onboard the ship.

• 2) The company must ensure that the policy is implemented and maintained at all levels of organization both onboard the ship and onshore.

• 3) Establish mechanisms for compliance with the mandatory rules and regulations in the agreement and the code.

• 4) The owner must inform the maritime authority of the complete data of the company operating the ship if this company is not the owner of the ship.

• 5) Define and document the responsibilities, authorities, and mutual relationship with the captain who manages, implements, and audits safety and pollution prevention activities affecting the ship.

• 6) The company must clearly define and document the captain's responsibilities regarding the following:

  • A. Implementing the company's safety and environmental protection policy.

  • B. Motivating the crew to comply with this policy.

  • C. Issuing clear and appropriate orders and instructions.

  • D. Ensuring compliance with specified requirements.

  • E. Reviewing the safety management system and notifying the company of any deficiencies.

• 7) The company must ensure that the captain is suitably qualified to perform his duties on the ship and execute his responsibilities, and that he is fully aware of the company's safety management system.

• 8) The company must ensure that each ship operates with a qualified and trained crew that meets the requirements for safe manning.

• 9) The company must ensure that the person responsible for the company's safety management policy is sufficiently aware of the relevant rules, regulations, codes, and guidelines.

• 10) The company must establish and maintain procedures to identify any training that may be required to support the safety management system and ensure that this training includes the responsible person.

• 11) The company must establish procedures through which those involved in safety management receive relevant information about the safety management system in a working language or languages that are understood.

• 12) The company must ensure that those involved in safety management can effectively communicate when performing their assigned tasks related to the safety management system.

• 13) The company must establish procedures for preparing plans and instructions that include, where appropriate, checklists regarding the main ship operation processes related to ship safety and pollution prevention, and must define various related tasks and assign them to qualified employees.

• 14) The company must establish procedures to identify and describe potential emergency operational situations and the response procedures to them.

• 15) The company must develop training and exercise programs in preparation for emergency operations.

• 16) The safety management system must include measures that ensure the company's organization can respond to risks, incidents, and emergencies that may occur on its ships at any time.

• 17) The safety management system must include measures that ensure reports are made to the company regarding non-compliance, incidents, hazardous situations, and investigations and analyses aimed at improving safety and preventing pollution.

• 18) The company must establish procedures for enforcing corrective measures.

• 19) The company must establish procedures to ensure that the ship remains compliant with the provisions of the relevant rules and regulations and any additional requirements that may be established by the company.

• 20) Maintaining and retaining records related to safety management.

• 21) Disseminating and applying this system to all ships operated by it.

• 22) The company must conduct internal audits to ensure the effectiveness of the safety management systems and verify that safety and pollution prevention activities comply with the safety management system.

• 23) The company must periodically evaluate the effectiveness of the safety management system and review it as necessary according to a mechanism determined by the company and verify whether the ship's and the company's safety management system complies with the relevant requirements.

The maritime authority issues a compliance document for the company or a safety management certificate for the vessel after following the procedures below:

• 1. A claim submitted by the company that includes:

  • A- Company details (name – address – license to conduct maritime transport activities – etc.) if the claim is for the company's compliance document.

  • B- Vessel details (name – tonnage – type – owner / or lessee – operating company – navigation license – sailing areas, etc.) if the claim relates to the safety management certificate for the vessel.

• 2. Supporting documents must be attached to the claim.

• 3. The claim is studied, and the maritime authority verifies the fulfillment of the necessary requirements.

• 4. The maritime authority may request the company to take corrective measures in case there are instances or reasons indicating non-compliance of the company or the vessel with the requirements of the safety management system or some of them.

• 5. The maritime authority issues a compliance document to the company for the requirements of the safety management system, and also issues a safety management certificate for the vessel.

• 6. The maritime authority may delegate a specific body or a specific expert on its behalf to issue the certificate after verifying the fulfillment of the necessary requirements.

• 7. The maritime authority may delegate or request the maritime authority of another country, a party to the agreement, to issue the safety management certificate on behalf of the Government of the Kingdom.

• 8. The original document must be kept at the company and a copy of it on board the vessel.

• 9. The original safety management certificate for vessels must be kept on board the vessel, and a copy of the safety management certificate for its vessels must be kept at the company.

1. The maritime authority issues a compliance document for the company that meets the requirements of the Safety Management System for a maximum period of five years.

2. The maritime authority issues a Safety Management Certificate for the vessel that meets the requirements of the Safety Management System for a maximum period of five years.

The maritime authority may issue:

• 1. A temporary compliance certificate for the new company for a period not exceeding twelve months as follows:

  • A- Based on a request submitted by the company supported by the relevant documents and evidence regarding the company's and the vessel's fulfillment of its obligations stated in this Regulation.

  • B- After verifying that the company plans to implement a safety management system and confirming its implementation within the validity period of the document.

  • C- A copy of it is kept on board the vessel.

• 2. A temporary safety management certificate for the vessel based on the company's request for a period not exceeding six months under the following circumstances:

  • A- Upon receiving a new vessel.

  • B- When a company assumes responsibility for operating a new vessel.

  • C- When changing the flag under which the vessel is registered.

• 3. A temporary safety management certificate for the vessel after verifying:

  • A- That the compliance document or the temporary compliance document pertains to the vessel in question.

  • B- That the safety management system provided by the company for the vessel in question includes the key elements outlined in this code and has been evaluated during the necessary audit process for issuing the compliance document, or it has been proven to meet the requirements for issuing the temporary compliance document.

  • C- That the company has planned to conduct an audit of the vessel within three months.

  • D- That the captain and officers are familiar with the safety management system and the arrangements established for its implementation.

  • E- That instructions deemed essential have been provided prior to sailing.

  • F- That relevant information about the safety management system has been provided in a language or languages understood by the employees on board the vessel.

Subject to the powers of other regulatory authorities, the service inspector or the person authorized by the maritime authority is responsible for the authority of supervision, inspection, performance evaluation, and monitoring violations of the law and this regulation, and taking necessary actions to ensure compliance with its provisions in accordance with Minister of Transport Decision No. (1/41/91) dated 24/04/1441 AH and its amendments.

1. The maritime authority may amend the Safety Management Certificate of the vessel or the company's compliance document based on:

• A- A request from the company for amendment due to changes in safety management requirements necessitating the amendment of the certificate / or

• B- A decision by the maritime authority to amend due to justifiable reasons.

2. The maritime authority may revoke the Safety Management Certificate of the vessel / or the company's compliance document in the following cases:

• A- In the event of evidence of substantial non-compliance.

• B- Failure to request verification as specified in Article (5) of this regulation.