DAMMAM, 6 March 2008 — Four Pakistan Navy (PN) ships, docked at the port of Dammam, are open for visitors from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. They will end their four-day goodwill visit to Saudi Arabia tomorrow. The PNS Gwadar, the first indigenous coastal tanker of PN fleet built by Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works, was commissioned on Nov. 5, 1984, primarily as a tanker and also acts as a torpedo recovery vessel. The PNS Jurrat was originally the Type 24 Hegu Class missile boat, which is now fitted with modern weapons and sensors. The PNS Hurmat, an Agosta Class submarine commissioned on Feb. 18, 1980, is usually deployed in anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. The PNS Muhafiz, an Eridan Class Tripartite mine hunter commissioned on April 15, 1996, has played a vital role in surveying areas of interests and actively participated in exercises at home and with foreign navies.
The navies of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan conducted “Naseem Al-Bahr” exercises from Jan. 22 to Feb. 9 in Pakistan this year.
The visit of the ships to Dammam will increase Pakistan Navy’s interaction with the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and enable it to learn from the latter’s experience.
