Saudi Arabia launches Neom corvette in Spain

The Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) has launched the Neom, a new Avante 2200 class corvette, at the Navantia shipyards in San Fernando, Spain. This vessel is the second of three ships in the second phase of the Al-Sarawat project, following the earlier launch of the Al-Madinah.

Under the agreement, the hull was constructed and assembled in Spain, but the Neom and the third vessel in this series will be transported to Saudi Arabia. Once there, the ships will undergo the installation and integration of combat systems, followed by field acceptance tests in Saudi Arabian waters. This process is part of a strategic initiative to localize military industries and transfer technology to the Kingdom.

The project includes a comprehensive logistics support package and training programs designed to qualify over 100 Saudi engineers in combat system integration and maintenance. A key output of this partnership is the ‘Hazem’ naval combat management system, a first-of-its-kind Saudi-developed system for managing maritime combat operations.

The second phase of the Al-Sarawat project involves three multi-mission corvettes: Al-Madinah, Neom, and Al-Ula. This follows an initial phase that saw the delivery of five combat vessels between 2019 and 2024. The final ship in the current series is scheduled for delivery by 2029.