Spanish state shipbuilder and systems integrator Navantia and Saudi Zamil Offshore Service Company have agreed to boost their cooperation to provide services for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) Avante 2200 Corvettes in Saudi Arabia.
The collaboration has been launched with the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during this week’s World Defense Show (WDS) in Riyadh.
Navantia has designed and is building five Avante 2200 Corvettes for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF), through a comprehensive contract which includes Through Life Support (TLS) of the vessels in Saudi Arabia, as well as training of the crew and maintainers. The first of the corvettes will be commissioned to the Kingdom on March 31st.
Zamil and Navantia will explore potential collaboration in the field of support services to Avante 2200. “Our cooperation with Zamil is a step further in our commitment to boost localization in support to RSNF and to develop a solid industrial ecosystem in Saudi Arabia. Navantia is fully committed to deliver KSA Vision 2030”, stated Navantia’s Vice President for Systems and Services, Donato Martínez, in the occasion of the signature of the MoU.
Nasser F. Alhazzani, COO of Zamil Offshore Services Company said: “We are very honored to work with Navantia on this prestigious opportunity. With Navantia’s global expertise and world renowned knowledge and Zamil’s proven track record in shipbuilding and repair projects, we are confident our collaboration will yield a reliable local capability to support the sustainment of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces fleet”.
The collaboration with Zamil complements other initiatives launched by Navantia to boost industrial cooperation in the Kingdom. 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.
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.
The General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) is the Kingdom’s defense sector regulator. Zamil Offshore is licensed by GAMI to engage in various defense activities, including manufacturing, services, and trade. GAMI’s regulatory oversight and policymaking efforts act as the key enabler of such strategic localization partnerships.
The Spanish shipbuilder Navantia is a world reference in the design, construction and integration of state-of-the-art war ships, as well as ship repairs & modernizations. It is also engaged in the design and manufacture of Integrated Platform Management Systems, Fire Control Systems, Command and Control systems, Propulsion Plants and through life support for all its products. Even though its main line of activity is in the naval field, Navantia designs and manufactures systems for the Army and the Air Force.
NAVANTIA belongs to Grupo SEPI, a corporate holding which is made up by a total of 15 state-owned companies in which it has a direct majority shareholding participation and which employ more than 78,000 professionals. It also has a foundation and direct minority participations in a further nine companies and indirect participations in more than one hundred companies.
Zamil Offshore Services Company is a wholly owned Zamil Group Holding Company subsidiary. Established in 1977, Zamil Offshore Services Company provides diversified offshore and marine support services to the oil and gas industry. The core business includes offshore marine and diving services, offshore construction and hookup services, shipbuilding, ship and rig maintenance, and seaport operations. Zamil has a large compliment of strategic partners including mtu for which Zamil is the exclusive and sole marine distributor covering sales, aftermarket and servicing as part of the mtu global network covering Saudi Arabia.
The company operates shipyards on both coasts of the Kingdom, at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, Saudi Aramco’s West Pier Facility at Ras Tanura, and Jeddah Islamic Port.
Through its shipyards, Zamil has built and delivered over 60 vessels to various clients in and out of the Kingdom and offers repair services to over 150 vessels annually. In addition, Zamil manages the pilotage and towage operations at King Abdulaziz Dammam Port, conducting about 2,000 movements per year. Zamil also owns and operates a fleet of over 60 offshore support vessels and jack-up barges.
