The delivery of the corvette “Damsah”, the second of the Al Zubarah-class of four vessels ordered to Fincantieri by the Qatari Ministry of Defence within the national naval acquisition program, took place today at the Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard. The ceremony, held in a restricted format and in full compliance with anti-contagion requirements, was attended by Brigadier General Abdulla Al Mazroey, Deputy Chief of the Qatar Navy and Commander of the Flotilla, Major General Staff Hilal Al Muhannadi, Defense Attaché of the State of Qatar in Rome, Rear Admiral Pierpaolo Ribuffo, Maritime Commander – North, and by Marco Acca, Deputy General Manager Naval Vessels Division of Fincantieri.
The Al Zubarah-class or Doha class is a class of corvettes built by Fincantieri for the Qatari Emiri Navy. Fincantieri showcased for the first time the multi-role air defense corvettes for the Qatari Emiri Navy during DIMDEX 2018. In August 2017, Qatar officially announced the order of the four ships of the class after signing the contract in June 2016. They are able to operate high-speed boats such as rigid-hulled inflatable boat with the help of lateral cranes and hauling ramps. All four of the Doha class will serve as the backbone of the Qatari Emiri Navy.
The Al Zubarah-class corvettes, designed consistent with the RINAMIL rules, will be highly flexible and capable of fulfilling different kinds of tasks, from surveillance with sea rescue capacities to being fighting vessels. They will be about 107 meters long, 14.70 meters wide, and equipped with a combined diesel and diesel plant (CODAD), with a maximum speed of 28 knots. The units will be able to accommodate 112 persons on board. Furthermore, the corvettes will be capable of operating high-speed boats such as RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) through lateral cranes or a hauling ramp located at the far stern. The flight deck and hangar are sized for hosting one NH90 helicopter.
