Port Rules and Regulations
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Port Salalah | The conventional name of the Port, which includes the entire area of the Port either land or sea inside the territories of the Port and the Port Limits. |
Port Authority | The management of Salalah Port Services Company SAOG pursuant to the concession agreement signed with the Ministry of Transport and Communications. |
Harbour Master | The person appointed to carry out the duties of the harbour Master or his delegate. |
Port Facilities | All the quays, anchorage areas, unloading areas, docks, storage areas, roads, paths, buildings and any other facilities operated or managed by the Port Authority. |
Vessel | Any ship, or craft usually working or equipped to work in maritime navigation whether powered by a motor or any other method, including hydrofoils, hovercrafts, marine drilling machines, barges, launches and dhows. |
Dhow | The traditional wooden commercial vessels. |
Launch | A traditional boat made of wood or fibreglass equipped for fishing or transportation of fish. |
Safe Speed | The appropriate speed of a ship, which enables it to take a proper and effective action to avoid collision and to be stopped within a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions in accordance with the international regulations for preventing collisions at Sea. |
Owner | The owner or user of the Ship who manages it, the lessee of the Ship, the person who has a lien or mortgage over the Ship, or any other owner making use of the Ship. |
Master | The person whom the command and management of the Ship is entrusted. |
Pilot | The qualified person appointed by the Port Authority to guide the masters of ships while sailing within the port limits. |
Shipping Agent | Any company, firm, or organization appointed by the Owner, the shipping company or the ship's master to act on their behalf in the Sultanate of Oman which accepts such appointment. |
Shipment | Goods of all types, loaded or unloaded or waiting to be loaded on the Ship. |
Charges | All charges, dues, rates, tolls, fees, and any other charges of every description. |
Dangerous Cargo | Any materials of hazardous nature or components as per the IMDG Code issued by the IMO. |
Perishable Cargo | Goods or commodities which are liable to rabid deterioration and livestock. |
Pollution | The unauthorised discharge of oils, refuse matters. or any other substances liable to cause damage or danger to the Port, the users of the Port, the fishing activities, and the environment as per the MARPOL convention issued by the IMO. |
From the highest level of the high tide where the point intersect the coast at 054°04'0 East longitude and from that point in the direction of true South to the point intersecting the line 16°54' North latitude and from this point in the direction of true West to the point intersecting the 16°54 North latitude and 53°58' East longitude. From this point in the direction of true North to the point intersecting the coast line and from this following the coast back to the starting point.
And includes, all wharves, quays, piers, landing places, decks, storage areas, roads, and buildings under the operational or administrative control of the Port Authority.
The Port Authority shall:
The Harbour Master is charged with all aspects of vessels movement , vessels safety, and compliance with port rules. The Harbour Master controls and coordinates pilotage towage, linesmen, and all other marine services. He will determine the number of tugs that attend to vessels while moving in the port.
It is not permitted to enter the Port except after obtaining a permit or a gate pass from the Port Authority. The Port Authority may withdraw such a permit or a gate pass for any reason.
All entry or exit movement of vehicles, goods and persons in or out from the Port shall be through the gates designated for such purpose. Such movement inside the boundaries of the Port shall be subject to the orders and instructions issued by the Port Authority.
Placing any material that may constitute a hindrance in the Port is strictly and in case of such an occurrence, the person who caused such obstacle must remove it within the period of time to be specified by the Port Authority.
It is prohibited for any person to destroy or deliberately tamper with any light or signal used in the Port.
Mooring of any boat at any quay, dock, anchorage ,land or any of the Port facilities or landing of any launch or Dhows at the quay or the beach for whatsoever reason, is strictly prohibited except after obtaining prior written approval from the Harbour Master.
It is strictly prohibited for any person to carry out any type of fishing activities or laying any fishing gear or floats in the Port area.
Removal of any goods from the Port is strictly prohibited except after obtaining written approval from the Port Authority and the concerned authorities.
It is strictly prohibited for any person to carry out commercial activities or purchase any item from vessels except after obtaining prior written approval from the Port Authority and the concerned authorities.
It is strictly prohibited to take away any dunnage or packing waste or any other things from any vessel without obtaining written approval from the master of the vessel and the concerned authorities.
It is strictly prohibited for any person to take inside the Port any goods or items , the importation or exportation of which is restricted by any of the laws of the Sultanate of Oman.
The provisions of these Port Rules & Regulations shall apply to all the users of the Port whether persons, vessels, vehicles, equipment and any others for any purpose or reason.
Interpretation of any of the rules mentioned in these Port Rules & Regulations in contradiction to Oman laws, GCC rules and regulations for sea ports, the maritime rules and customs prevailing in the Sultanate, is completely forbidden.
The Owner, Shipping Agent or the master of the Ship shall send arrival notice to the Harbour Master 48 hours before arrival to the Port. He should also inform the Harbour Master with the details of the Ship, its cargo, any hazardous cargo, cases of illness, and any defects which affects the vessel manoeuvrability.
The master shall establish radio communication with Port control and request permission to enter the Port limits, at least four hours prior to the estimated time of arrival.
Each Ship, before entering Port Salalah, should display the following flags and lights:
All vessels approaching the port shall be guided by the advice of port control with regard to arrival details, pilot boarding, berthing or anchoring arrangements.
All vessels shall release gas before entering the Port limits. Release of gas inside the Port is strictly prohibited.
The Harbour Master may refuse to berth or moor any vessel if he believes that such refusal would be in the interest of the Port.
All vessels of 200 Gross Register Tons (GRT) and above may not enter or leave the harbour or move inside the harbour without a Pilot as assigned by the Harbour Master unless authorized to do so by him.
Vessels requiring pilot shall have fully rigged pilot ladder confirming to the specifications in accordance with SOLAS convention.
Pilot shall board the inbound vessel at the pilot boarding grounds outside the channel and in the case of outbound vessels, he will board while the vessel is alongside and disembark outside the channel.
In case the vessel is at the anchorage, the pilot shall board before it enters the channel. A vessel at the anchorage area must not approach the channel unless it is authorized to do so by port control.
All vessels in Port either berthed, at the anchorage, or moving, should display necessary lights as indicated in the international regulations for preventing collisions at sea.
All vessels shall proceed at Safe Speed inside the Port limits.
It is strictly prohibited for any person, other than the Pilot, the health officer or those having permission from the harbour master to board any vessel unless that vessel has been cleared by the relevant authorities.
Vessels shall only occupy Berths as allocated by the harbour master.
The Harbour Master may change the berth of any vessel to another berth if he believes that this will be in the best interest of the Port. The vessel shall bear all the consequent costs, and this process shall be made under the responsibility of the master.
All vessels calling at Port Salalah for whatever purpose shall use adequate mooring ropes and lines. These ropes and lines shall be in good condition and the Harbour Master may instruct the master of any vessel to change his mooring ropes or lines if they are in his opinion, not suitable for the purpose .
All vessels at the Port shall prepare a suitable ladder in accordance with international standards, which should be lit at night. In addition, if the situation warrants, the vessel shall prepare a boat rope at the front part of this ladder.
All vessels calling Port Salalah should be covered by insurance covering all financial claims for cost of repairing damages caused to port facilities and any other financial claims including salvage insurance. All documents evidencing the insurance should be on board.
The master of any vessel that enters the Port shall maintain the registration certificate and all other vessel's certificates and official documents for provision to the concerned authorities if required.
All vessels calling the port shall maintain engines at short notice for sea and do not start any maintenance or repair work which will affect the vessel's notice for sea or carry out any trials without a prior written approval from the harbour master.
All vessels calling port Salalah must be at safe stability at all times
It is strictly prohibited for any vessel to have protruding objects that may hamper its movement or cause any damages to the quay or hamper the loading or unloading operation.
It is strictly prohibited for any vessel to lower its life boats or any other boats without obtaining prior approval from Port Control.
The master or the agent of any vessel intending to leave the Port should inform the Port control at least one hour prior to the departure time.
It is prohibited for any vessel to leave the Port before payment of all charges and obtain a Port Clearance.
Vessels are not allowed to stay in the port for prolong periods unless it is authorized to do so by the Harbour Master. The Port Authority has the right to take any action to remove such vessels and any other vessel which is considered hampering the port operation from the port.
The Port Authority shall, in co-ordination with the Ministry of Transport and Communications, detain any vessel which is considered to be un seaworthy until it is repaired.
Unless in real emergency, vessels are strictly prohibited from sounding or raising any type of distress sound or signal including the testing of the vessel's siren or whistles. For maintenance or testing of such sounds or signals, permission from Port Control is required.
The master should immediately inform Port Control if his vessel is in distress. On being so informed or on observing the mishap, the Harbour Master or any other person authorised by him should immediately proceed to the vessel in distress and take command of all persons present and give such instructions and assign such duties to each person present as may be considered necessary for the preservation of life, the environment, the vessel, her cargo, and equipment. All charges relating to such action shall be borne by the vessel's owner.
The master is the person responsible for the berthing of his vessel. In case the vessel for whatsoever reason caused any damage to any persons, the berth or any of the Port or third party facilities, the vessel and its Owners shall be held responsible for repairing such damage and shall restore the damaged item to its previous condition. The Harbour Master may detain the vessel until completion of the procedures and fulfilment of the liabilities resulting from such damages.
The Port Authority shall not be held responsible for any damages whatsoever that may be caused by the tug to the vessel or by the vessel to the tug, or any loss or damage to anything on board or any injury to any person.
The master or the Owner of the vessel which uses the tug for any purpose shall be held responsible for any losses, damage, injuries, and accidents resulting in death, and he shall indemnify the Port Authority against all the consequences of such damage including any claims from any other party.
The Owner, agent or master of the vessel intending to call Port Salalah for discharging or loading of cargo, should notify the Port Authority at least 72 hours prior to the arrival of the vessel with details including the nature and quantities of the cargo to be discharged or loaded, in addition to other important information related to the vessel, its crew or passengers.
Vessels will be berthed for cargo operation on order of their arrival time unless the Port Authority decides otherwise. Cargo operations shall be carried out under the responsibility of the master of the vessel.
Manifest and details of the cargo in English shall be prepared and certified by the vessel's Owner, agent, or master in accordance with Oman Customs rules and the requirement of the port operations. The manifest must be presented to port operations before arrival of the vessel. A certified statement of any alterations or amendments to the original manifest shall be submitted to the port operations immediately upon completion of cargo operation.
The master of the vessel undergoing cargo operation must prepare and maintain adequate lighting at all work places in the vessel.
The Owner, agent, or master of the vessel shall be held responsible for any loss or damage due to improper storage of cargo onboard and shall bear all consequences relating thereto.
In case any cargo or equipment falls overboard, the master should inform the Port Authority immediately and he should recover the cargo or equipment immediately.
The Port Authority may recover such cargo or equipment at the cost and responsibility of the vessel.
The Port Authority shall not be held responsible for any damage or loss that might be sustained by such cargo or equipment.
The master of the vessel carrying out cargo operation must provide the Port workers who are working on his Ship with drinking water and provide suitable toilet facilities for them.
It is strictly prohibited for any person to use any defective or damaged equipment, ropes or cranes for handling cargo. The Port Authority or its appointed person, may conduct inspections of such cargo handling gear and he may stop their usage.
The Port Authority shall provide the required services for receiving of cargo in the port.
The Port Authority may withdraw cargo handling services from any vessel which has any obstacles preventing loading and discharging at the rate the Port Authority deems proper. This vessel, after the Port Authority notifies the master in writing of these obstacles, may also lose its turn in working its cargo. Moreover, the Port Authority may issue its instructions to the vessel to leave the berth immediately.
In case of accumulation of cargo on the quay, or on barges for whatever reason, the Port Authority may instruct the vessel to stop or reduce the speed or rate of discharging of such cargo.
No cargo or goods will be considered received by the Port Authority except after the issuance of an official receipt to the master of the vessel which discharged these cargo or goods or to the agent of the vessel or any other legally authorized person to transport these cargo or goods to or from the Port. The Port Authority shall not be responsible for confirming that all parts of a Shipment, consignment or goods packages set out in the bill of lading have been discharged in the Port or loaded on board of a vessel before this vessel departed or a difference in the weight or measurement of such packages from those set out in the bill of lading or any invoice or any other document related to these cargo, Shipments, or goods. In the case of containers that contain goods which may not be easily and accurately identified at the time of loading or unloading, the official receipt issued in this regard will indicate the number of the units only and the Port Authority will not be held responsible for the inappropriateness of the items contained in these goods or packages or claimed to be contained inside these units.
If it appears to the Port Authority that there are damaged goods or packages, it may instruct the Owner, master or agent of the vessel to immediately deliver these goods or packages and the Port Authority will not be held responsible for these goods, packages or their contents under any circumstances.
The master may directly deliver to the consignee any valuable items such as gold, diamonds, valuable properties, or perishable goods and livestock which are imported in a legal manner and properly manifested provided that all required procedures were fulfilled and all necessary official approvals were obtained.
The master, Owner or agent shall notify the Port Authority 24 hours prior to the unloading of cargo that requires special storage. This notification shall include the details of the marks, numbers, quantities and specifications of this cargo as well as the full name and contact numbers of the consignee.
Goods shall be delivered from storage in the port premises to the consignee or to their duly authorized representatives only against a delivery order signed by the vessel's owner or his agent and after payment of all port charges on such goods and after release by Customs and Health authorities.
The Port Authority may order any vessel to leave the Port if it appears that it is carrying unhealthy, harmful or rotten goods. In case the vessel has already discharged these goods, the consignee shall immediately take these goods outside the Port after obtaining the approval of the concerned authorities. If the consignee fails or denies his responsibility for these goods or the Port Authority fails to locate him, the master, Owner or agent of the vessel shall immediately remove these goods out of the Port. However, if the consignee, master, Owner or agent of the vessel refuses, fails or neglects to carry out the Port Authority's instructions, the Port Authority may then remove or dispose off all these goods in the manner it deems suitable, and this action will be under the responsibility and costs of the consignee, the master, Owner or the agent.
All cargo control services for the principle such as tallying, weighing, measuring, gauging, checking, sampling, sorting, etc. shall be exclusively performed by the port authority for a separate charge. The port authority may delegate a third party to carry out such services.
Goods should be packed and marked clearly and in accordance with the local and international laws and standards.
Resorting, re-packing or any other similar actions shall not be permitted inside the Port other than by the port authority and on the account of the consignee, consignor, the vessel or its agent.
The Port Authority after serving a warning to the owner of the goods, that their formalities were not completely finalised within the specified period as per the notification issued in this regard, may offer these goods for sale by auction after the following periods:
The proceeds of the sale will be deposited in the Port's safe for the owner of the goods after deduction of the Port Charges and the sale costs.
The Port Authority is entitled to fix and amend the Port working hours and announce its working hours by the means it deems suitable.
Relevant Government and Port Authority's approvals have to be obtained before such goods are loaded at the loading port onboard vessels intend calling port Salalah. The Harbour Master must be notified of the following at least 72 hours before the vessel arrives:
It is strictly prohibited for any person to tamper with any fire fighting gear or equipment. It is also, except in emergency, prohibited for any person to open, close or move any of such equipment except with authorisation from the Port Authority.
It is prohibited to use ant type of naked lights any where close to the vicinity of fuel tankers, tanks, or vessels fuelling or transferring inflammable cargo in the port.
Smoking is strictly prohibited at the vessels cargo hatches, stores, warehouses and cargo decks during cargo operations.
No vessel is to carry out fumigation in the port unless approval has been obtained in writing from the Harbour Master and the concerned Authorities.
It is prohibited for any vessel to perform any welding activities except after obtaining prior written approval from the Harbour Master.
Immediately a fire is discovered on board a vessel or elsewhere , the fire alarm shall be raised by standard means. If the fire is in a vessel alongside then the person in charge should contact Port control and Fire & Safety department. The masters of nearby vessels should take the necessary precautions for securing their vessels and shall provide all assistance needed by the vessel on fire.
All companies, agencies and vessels who are involved in the under mentioned activities must obtain and be aware of the “National Oil Spill Contingency Plan”. A copy of this plan may be obtained from the Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources.
It is prohibited for any vessel to dispose or throw any refuse or waste into the harbour or any where in the port. Refuse and waste shall include:
It is prohibited for any person to tamper with life saving and first aid equipment. It is also not permitted for any person to remove these equipment or install other equipment, except after obtaining the necessary authorisation from the Port Authority.
All vessels alongside, must provide safety nets under the vessel's ladder to prevent the fall of persons or goods.
The maximum speed for all vehicles and other machinery moving inside the Port area shall be 20 kmph. Any driver who exceeds this speed will be subjected to legal actions.
Swimming in the harbour is prohibited.
Bringing wild animals into the Port is strictly prohibited. Further, such animals shall neither be kept onboard or landed unless such animals are secured, confined under effective control and the approval of the Port and other Authorities is obtained.
It is strictly prohibited to keep loaded weapons on board while the vessel is in the port. The master shall inform the concerned authorities of any weapons on board.
Fuelling shall only be through companies authorised by the Port Authority. The master should obtain written approval from the Harbour Mater before starting fuelling and shall comply with the related international safety procedures.
All vessels in the port shall take all necessary and additional precautions in case of severe weather conditions.
The master should always maintain the following documents and certificates and shall submit them on demand to the representatives of the concerned authorities:
The master of any Dhow entering Port Salalah shall have a local shipping agent.
The masters of the Dhows while alongside should comply with the following:
The masters of the Dhows during their time at the anchorage area should comply with the following:
Dhows entering the Port should be covered by insurance covering any damage that it may cause to the Port. This insurance shall cover all other financial claims related to the Dhow during its stay in the Port including wreck removal.
The master, Owner or agent of the Dhow is considered responsible for any losses or damage that may be caused to the properties of the Port, the Dhows, other vessels or persons for any reason during their time in the Port.
The agent or master of the Dhow shall, after completion of cargo operation or when ready to sail, shall co-ordinate with Port control with regard to the departure time after payment of all charges and obtaining the Port Clearance.