Saudi Arabia’s navy has received the second and third consignments of French speedboats under a technology transfer deal with the Paris government, the official Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday.
General Fahed Al Ghufaily, head of the Saudi Royal Navy, oversaw a delivery ceremony for the interceptor-class HSI32 boats on the eastern coast of the kingdom.
He said the vessels are among the most modern speedboats and will “contribute to raising combat readiness of the maritime units and help protect the strategic interests of the kingdom”.
The first two boats became operational in July last year out of 39 boats contracted to the French CMN shipyard. The deal stipulates that about half of the boats are to be made in France and the rest in Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh has sought partnerships in the past few years with international suppliers to boost its domestic manufacturing capacity.
In April the Saudi military said it expects to begin making drones next year as part of a plan to keep half of the kingdom’s military spending in the country over the next decade.
The country has one of the world’s largest military budgets, accounting for more than 8 per cent of GDP.
