Tuwaiq Project: Expanding Saudi Maritime Sovereignty

A significant milestone in the development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s maritime sovereignty has been reached with the launch of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces’ ship, ‘His Majesty King Saud,’ in the United States, marking the first warship in the strategic “Tuwaiq” project.

This launch marks the first application of the results of high-level military cooperation between the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and their international allies. Several questions come up in this situation: What is the Tuwaiq project? Why is the Kingdom modernising its naval fleet? And what is its strategic role?

The Tuwaiq Project: A Localisation Foundation

The “Tuwaiq” project is more than just a two-nation military agreement. It signifies a change in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s approach to maritime defence. It is an all-encompassing defence system that translates the Kingdom’s ultimate goal of enhancing marine sovereignty in vital areas where international interests coincide. All four of its ships have the newest multi-mission fighting systems installed.

The Tuwaiq Project’s advanced warships, like the King Saud ship, are equipped to combat security threats in all dimensions—air, surface, and subsurface—demonstrating the project’s strategic significance. According to Vice Admiral Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Gharibi, Chief of Staff of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, this improves the quality and effectiveness of the forces’ capabilities, strengthening maritime security and protecting the Kingdom’s crucial maritime access points.

Moreover, the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 aims to localise 50% of military spending, aligning with the Tuwaiq Project’s objectives. This initiative extends beyond shipbuilding, involving the modernisation of the King Abdulaziz Naval Base, the establishment of advanced training and maintenance facilities, and the localisation of technological expertise.

The project’s fleet of cutting-edge ships, such as the King Saud ship, that can combat security threats in all their forms—air, surface, and subsurface—highlights its strategic significance.

The Saudi leadership is establishing a sustainable defence industrial centre that provides high-quality employment and advanced training. This initiative transforms the defence sector into a sustainable producer of technical services, strengthening strategic defence collaboration between Washington and Riyadh amid regional and global challenges.

In accordance with the national naval capabilities modernisation strategy, the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Saudi Naval Forces oversee this strategic project in collaboration with foreign partners in shipbuilding and operation.

Read more: International Maritime Training Centre in Jeddah

Modernising the Saudi Fleet with Billions of Dollars

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is developing its naval force at an accelerated rate in response to changes and transformations in the world. This operates by the belief that it is necessary to develop a competitive naval force that supports Vision 2030, as well as the reality that 11 of the 16 ships were built before 2010 and have thus outlived their useful lives; eight of these ships are from the early 1980s.

This change makes the Tuwaiq project stand out as one of Saudi Arabia’s biggest investments in the US. It entails building four contemporary Freedom-class frigates, which will cost 2.5 times as much as the ships hired by the Spanish firm Navantia.

With the purchase of 137 patrol boats—58 for the Navy and 79 for the Coast Guard—as well as an additional budget of about $4 billion for the purchase of supply ships and light frigates in the future, the development also encompassed smaller vessels.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is attempting to strengthen its industrial sovereignty through the Sofon shipyard in Ras Al-Khair to fulfil its objectives of localising the industry and training and nurturing Saudi talent. The training and certification of some 200 Saudi personnel in Spain serves as evidence of this.

Furthermore, the Kingdom intends to supply some 105 Saudi shipbuilding engineers to the new shipyard, helping to achieve Vision 2030’s objective of safeguarding maritime investments along its coastline.

In summary, the Saudi Tuwaiq project seeks to enhance the capabilities of the Royal Saudi Navy. To bolster strategic interests and improve maritime security, it involves building four multi-mission war vessels. The project has received significant funding, demonstrating the Kingdom’s dedication to maintaining its maritime sovereignty in accordance with Vision 2030.

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