NAVANTIA TO BOOST SHIPBUILDING COLLABORATION IN SAUDI ARABIA

The Spanish shipbuilder Navantia and Zamil Shipyard have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in future naval projects in Saudi Arabia.

Navantia is one of the international defence companies with the largest product portfolio, ranging from surface ships and submarines to digital services. Its commitment towards the Kingdom’s plan ‘Vision 2030’ has gone another step forward through specific agreements such as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently signed with Zamil Shipyard, a division of Zamil Offshore Service Company located in Dammam Port. This agreement is focused on collaboration in future naval shipbuilding programs in the Kingdom and in other areas such as ship repairs, conversions or sustainment.

Navantia has launched other initiatives in the Kingdom to boost industrial cooperation  in the area of Combat System integration, a highly  technological area for which Navantia created a Joint Venture with SAMI (Saudi Arabia Military Industries) to develop, integrate and market the first Saudi Combat System: HAZEM. The already fully operational company, called SAMI-Navantia, was awarded a significant contract in September 2019 for the supply and integration of the combat system of the five Avante 2200 corvettes currently under construction for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces.

SAMI Navantia employs more than 30 Saudi people. The Saudi engineers with direct participation in the Avante 2200 Corvettes project are deployed in Spain during the duration of the program and will become the backbone of the ship’s support in the Kingdom. The capability and skills developed in the Avante program will benefit also the future naval projects of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, as well as the international programs where both companies are already cooperating.

Additionally, Navantia is discussing cooperation with companies in the Kingdom aimed at achieving the necessary self-sufficiency in Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of vessels and the development of a solid shipbuilding ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.