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
-
![Desan Shipyard to build Malaysia’s largest ever coast guard vessel]()
Desan Shipyard to build Malaysia’s largest ever coast guard vessel
The vessel should join the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency in 2017.
-
![US Navy tests Aegis combat system for hypersonic missile defence]()
US Navy tests Aegis combat system for hypersonic missile defence
The Arleigh Burke destroyer USS Pinckney undertook the tests against a simulated SM-6 missile.
-
![Royal Navy destroyer completes UAV live-fire exercise before heading to the Indo-Pacific]()
Royal Navy destroyer completes UAV live-fire exercise before heading to the Indo-Pacific
HMS Dauntless ran a full UAV test to mimic potential real-world threats.
-
![Havelsan sells ADVENT CMS into Chilean Navy frigates]()
Havelsan sells ADVENT CMS into Chilean Navy frigates
The system is intended to add enhanced operational precision to two ageing vessels.
-
![Second rMCM vessel begins sea trials, advances autonomous minesweeping]()
Second rMCM vessel begins sea trials, advances autonomous minesweeping
The rMCM programme will ultimately comprise of 12 vessels, six each working for the Belgian and the Royal Netherlands Navy.
-
![Long-delayed polar icebreaker programme gets cash and impetus boost]()
Long-delayed polar icebreaker programme gets cash and impetus boost
The US Government has awarded a significant contract to move along its Polar Security Cutter programme.
