Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz presided over the inauguration ceremony of the HMS Jazan ship at the King Faisal Naval Base of the Western Fleet in Jeddah Governorate on Monday. As the fourth vessel in the "Sarawat" project, it holds distinction as the first ship entirely constructed and tested on Saudi lands and waters.
Upon arrival, the defense minister was welcomed by Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili and Commander of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces Lieutenant General Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Ghafili. The ceremony commenced with the Royal Anthem and the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran.
Minister Khalid bin Salman raised the Saudi flag, marking the ship's entry into service. The ship's radars and whistles, along with those of other vessels, signaled its official inclusion as the fourth ship of the Sarawat Project. The defense minister toured the command tower, left a note in the ship's historical record, and took a group photo with the crew. The ceremony concluded with the commander of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces presenting a souvenir to the defense minister.
Dignitaries present included Assistant Minister of Defense for Executive Affairs Dr. Khalid bin Hussein Al-Bayari, Director General of the Minister of Defense's Office Hisham bin Abdulaziz bin Saif, CEO of the Saudi Arabian Military Industries Company (SAMI) Eng. Walid bin Abdulmajeed Abukhaled, and various senior civilian and military officials.
