Sister-Ship Arrest under Egyptian Law
Prepared by the Maritime & Admiralty Team at Soliman Advocates
This article has been prepared by the firm's maritime lawyers as part of Soliman Advocates' Maritime Legal Insights series, drawing on the team's experience in Egyptian maritime law and shipping disputes.
Shipowners often structure fleets through one-ship companies precisely to insulate assets from claims. Egyptian law, following the 1952 Brussels Convention, tempers this by permitting the arrest of a sister ship: a vessel in the same ownership as the ship in respect of which the maritime claim arose.
The decisive condition is common ownership at the time the debt arose — not at the time of arrest. The claimant must put evidence of this before the court, typically through ship registries, classification records and corporate documentation linking both vessels to the same owner.
In practice, the evidentiary work is where sister-ship arrests are won or lost. Registry extracts must be current, translated and consistent; beneficial-ownership arguments require careful preparation. A poorly evidenced application risks dismissal — or exposure for wrongful arrest.
Our office maintains direct access to port and registry records and coordinates with foreign counsel to assemble the ownership chain quickly, so the application is ready before the target vessel reaches an Egyptian port.
Legal Disclaimer
This article provides a general overview and does not constitute legal advice. Ship arrest procedures, requirements, defenses, and consequences depend on Egyptian maritime law, specific facts, supporting evidence, court procedures, and timing. Urgent legal advice should be obtained before arresting a vessel or defending against arrest proceedings.
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Our team is available 24/7 for urgent ship arrest and time-critical applications in all Egyptian ports.