The delivery ceremony of the Gowind® corvette Al Emarat, ordered by the United Arab Emirates to Naval Group, took place on 27th June 2024 in Lorient, in the presence of an official delegation of the United Arab Emirates Navy, led by the Deputy Commander of the UAE Navy, Brigadier Abdulla Al Mehairbi.
Al Emarat is the second Gowind® corvette ordered by the UAE to Naval Group in 2019. Built in Lorient and launched in May 2022, she started her sea trials in October 2023, at the time when the first corvette, Bani Yas, was delivered.
The Al Emarat crew will continue in France its operational ship training provided as part of the service solutions offered by Naval Group. The ship will begin its transit to the UAE under the Emirati flag in July, with an expected arrival in Abu Dhabi in August.
“I am very honoured to be with you on this symbolic day for Naval Group as we deliver the second Gowind Al Emarat to the UAE Navy. Naval Group has demonstrated its unwavering commitment to the success of the Bani Yas program, in close cooperation with the UAE Navy, and we are proud today to welcome our Emirati guests for the flag transfer ceremony of the Al Emarat corvette.», stated Olivier de la Bourdonnaye, Naval Group Executive Vice-President, Surface Ships.
The UAE Navy now owns sea-proven surface combatants, incorporating the most advanced technologies and adapted to their specific needs thanks to the modular design of the Gowind® family.
The Gowind® corvettes for the UAE Navy were built at Naval Group’s Lorient shipyard, incorporating equipment manufactured locally by UAE industry. Naval Group is stepping up its relationship with the United Arab Emirates Navy to best meet its future challenges. The Group is also developing its partnership with local industry, so as to offer the greatest support for the maintenance of these two Gowind® corvettes in the United Arab Emirates. This program symbolizes our commitment to deliver the state-of-the art systems to the UAE Navy and our vocation to anchor Naval Group in the country on a long-term basis, notably by developing industrial cooperation with our local partners.