Legal Update: Draft Law To Improve Maritime Operations

A new draft law that would improve maritime operations in the Kingdom of Bahrain will soon come into effect. The draft law (currently under review) aims to introduce a comprehensive law building upon the existing provisions of the current Maritime Law of 1982 and the Registration of Ships and Determination of Safety Conditions Law of 1978 supplemented with a host of new provisions to keep pace with advancements in maritime and the maritime transport industry.

The prevailing mindset during the law draft preparation phase was that the new law should not be limited to the boundaries of the current maritime law, but build upon it with the aim of taking advantage of the unique geographical location of the Kingdom with specific focus on enhancing safety and the adoption of new provisions adopted by countries with advanced shipping activity to attract local and international investments.