United Arab Emirates - Time Bars
UAE Maritime Code 1981
Nature of ClaimTime Bar
| Claims arising out of contract of carriage/Bills of Lading | 1 year from the date of delivery or on the date on which the delivery ought to have been made. If the consignee refuses to take delivery or abandons the cargo, the time bar is calculated from the date of arrival of the vessel. |
| Liability to stevedores, inspectors and other visitors on board, either in respect of injury or death | In the lack of any contractual relationship between the parties, claims in this regard are time barred within three years from the date of the incident or from the date the claimant became aware of the damage and the party responsible for the same |
| Removal of wreck and associated liabilities (when do any claims become time barred?) | Claims arising out of salvage are time barred within 2 years from the date of completing salvage. There is no specific time bar for claims/liabilities for wreck removal under the UAE Maritime Law or under port regulations. |
| Collision | Two years from the date of the incident. |
| Allision/loss or damage to property, such as shore equipment, FFO, etc. | In the lack of any contractual relationship between the parties, claims in this regard are time barred within three years from the date of the incident or from the date the claimant became aware of the damage and the party responsible for the same. |
| Pollution risks | The UAE has ratified the International Convention for Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil 1954, amended in 1962 and 1969, and the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage 1969. Any time limits provided under these conventions should apply before the UAE courts. There is no specific local legislation governing marine pollution in the UAE. However, there are several federal and local laws/legislations and regulations issued by various authorities dealing with pollution in general and these are normally applied on any marine pollution incidents. |
| Tortious claims | 3 years as per UAE Civil Law |
