Navantia Shipyard announced on 31 March that it has officially handed over the first of five Avante 2200 corvettes, HMS AL-JUBAIL, to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF), in a ceremony in Cadiz. The vessel will be commissioned into the RSNF in March 2023. The initial contract for five Al Jubail-class corvettes was signed in 2018 for €1.8 billion ($2 billion).
The delivery ceremony of vessel 546 was attended by the Commander of the Royal Saudi Naval Force, Vice Admiral Fahad Bin Abdullah Al-Ghofaily; the Spanish the Admiral Chief of Staff of the Spanish Navy (AJEMA), Antonio Martorell Lacave; the Chairman of Navantia, Ricardo Domínguez.
The corvette AL-JUBAIL has been delivered to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces in approximately three years since the cutting of its first steel plate (January 2019), and after having passed the sea, trials were carried out in the waters of the Bay of Cadiz during the last few months. These tests have verified the platform’s proper functioning and the different systems to demonstrate compliance with the requirements specified in the ship’s contract.
Al Jubail has a length of 104 meters, a beam of 14, and she will be able to transport 102 people, including crew and passengers. The corvettes are based on the Spanish AVANTE 2200 design, adapted to the requirements of Saudi Arabia.
Navantia announced in December the launch of the fifth and final Avante 2200 corvette, Unayzah. The vessel will be delivered to the RSNF in February 2024.
Jubail is a city in Saudi Arabia"s Eastern Province on the Persian Gulf coast.
