President Belén Gualda highlighted this programme as a strategic and expressed Navantia's willingness for future opportunities

Navantia has launched the second of the five corbettes built for the Saudi Arabian Navy, named AL-DIRIYAH, in tribute to the city from which the Saudi royal family comes, and today is sister to San Fernando.

The ceremony began with the welcome of the shipyard's director, Javier Herrador, to go to the reading of a few words from the Koran, made by the Commander of the Saudi Navy. A video on the city AL-DIRIYAH (a city that gives the name of the ship) and a video from Navantia on the preparations for the ship's launch have been shown below, after which the hymns of Saudi Arabia and Spain have started the speeches.

The Commander of the Saudi Navy has highlighted the work of Navantia and the Spanish Navy, "giving the highest to get the training to the first crew in Spain, qualified personnel capable of operating and maintaining these ships".

The corbeta has a length of 104 meters, a sleeve of 14 and will be able to transport a total of 102 people between crew and passage. It will reach a maximum speed of 27 knots and, among other things, has the capacity to carry provisions on board for 21 days.

The design of the corbites is state-of-the-art, while maximising Navantia's participation by incorporating its own products, such as the CATIZ combat system, the HERMESYS integrated communications system, the DORNA shooting direction, the Integrated Platform Control System and the MINERVA integrated bridge, along with other equipment developed by Navantia under licence, such as the MTU engines, the RENK reducing boxes.

This contract, in force since November 2018, strengthens the immediate future of Navantia and benefits all the shipyards of the company and its auxiliary industry, especially the entire Bay of Cadiz.

It will in particular involve a global workload of about seven million hours, which, translated into employment, will reach 6,000 per year over the next 5 years, of which more than 1,100 will be direct employees, more than 1,800 employees of the Navantia Auxiliary Industry and more than 3,000 indirect employees generated by other suppliers. More than 100 auxiliary companies will be involved.

The programme, the last ship to be delivered in 2024, includes, in addition to the construction, Life Cycle Support for five years, since the first ship was delivered, with an additional five years option.

On the other hand, the contract also includes the provision of a number of services such as integrated logistical support, operational and maintenance training, the provision of Training and Training Centres for the Control System and Platform Control System for Ships, the Life Cycle Support, and the systems for the maintenance of ships at the Jeddah Naval Base.