The Diplomat
The Government of Saudi Arabia will commission Navantia and a Saudi shipyard to design and build five multi-mission combat ships for the Royal Saudi Navy, according to an agreement signed yesterday in Riyadh.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, and the Saudi Minister of Defence, His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, together with other Saudi Arabian authorities, attended the signing by the Saudi Deputy Minister of Defence, Khaled bin Hussein Al-Bayari; the governor of the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), Ahmad Al-Ohali, and the president of Navantia, Ricardo Domínguez, of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will result in a contract throughout 2023.
Also present at the ceremony were the Saudi Chief of Staff, General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili; the Commander of the Royal Saudi Navy, Vice Admiral Fahad Bin Abdullah Al-Ghofaily and the Spanish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Jorge Hevia.
This is the second order from Saudi Arabia to Navantia, which is building five corvettes for the Royal Saudi Navy in the Bay of Cadiz. The delivery of the third of these corvettes, ‘Hail’, will take place on the 4th, in a ceremony to be held at the shipyard in San Fernando. The fourth and fifth corvettes will be delivered later in Saudi Arabia.
The agreement signed yesterday includes a localisation and technology transfer (ToT) component in Saudi Arabia. The ships will be built jointly by Navantia, at the San Fernando shipyard, and a shipyard in Saudi Arabia. In addition, their combat system will be developed and supplied by the SAMINavantia joint venture in Saudi Arabia.
The president of Navantia stated after the signing of the memorandum that “The construction of the five Avante 2200 corvettes has been a qualitative leap for Navantia and the Royal Saudi Navy”. Fulfilling this highly technological programme within demanding deadlines has undoubtedly been a determining factor in renewing the client’s confidence,” he said. Now we are going a step further by transferring technology and know-how to Saudi engineers”.
Ricardo Domínguez thanked the Spanish government for its support and work on this project, which guarantees skilled jobs in the Bay of Cádiz and represents a further step in Navantia’s role as a designer and builder of high-tech vessels. The programme will support 7,500 skilled jobs in both countries.
