Saudi-Spanish corvette deal on the cards
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince meets the Spanish king in Madrid on 5 April as he continues his global diplomatic charm offensive in a bid to project a new liberal image of his conservative kingdom.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s trip to Spain comes hot on the heels of a two-day official visit to France and after a tour lasting several weeks of the United States, Britain and Egypt, where the self-styled moderniser signed multimillion-dollar deals.
According to Spain’s El Pais daily, he is due to sign a contract to buy five warships from Spain for €2 billion ($2.4 billion), as well as other bilateral agreements.
Rights groups have denounced the planned sale - which has been under negotiation for two years - saying the corvettes could be used in Saudi Arabia’s military campaign in Yemen.
The Royal Saudi Navy operates a range of capable naval platforms, including three 4,700t Al Riyadh-class frigates (pictured).
Spain and Saudi Arabia’s royal families retain close ties due to King Felipe VI’s father Juan Carlos, who was a close friend of the kingdom’s late King Fahd, who reigned from 1982 to 2005, and is close to his brother King Salman.
Juan Carlos was credited with playing a decisive role in 2011 in helping a Spanish consortium win a contract worth €6.7 billion ($8.2 billion) to build a high-speed railway linking the cities of Mecca and Medina.
Spain is currently the seventh largest arms exporter in the world.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA]()
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
-
![Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development]()
Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development
Ukraine’s battlefield has rewritten the rules of uncrewed systems development. For Syos Aerospace, real-time operator feedback, lean serial production and a system-of-systems philosophy are central to its operating model.
-
![Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America]()
Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America
With a growing pipeline of naval modernisation programmes in South America, South Korean companies could be set to expand their presence in the region as recent contract wins highlight growing collaboration.
-
![AUKUS plan B? Japan’s submarines stopgap gains traction]()
AUKUS plan B? Japan’s submarines stopgap gains traction
Australia’s Collins-class life of type extension has revived debate over whether Canberra needs a contingency plan as risks to every stage of the AUKUS pathway mount. With Japan newly open to exports, the case for a diesel-electric stopgap is gaining traction.
