Fincantieri, one of the world’s top shipbuilding groups, and the Ministry of Defence of Qatar through Barzan Holding, a company wholly owned by the Qatari Ministry of Defense and responsible for empowering the military capabilities of the national armed force in the state, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Doha, aimed at strengthening their strategic partnership through the evaluation and studies of new technologies and capabilities, possibly leading to a future acquisition of new vessels already in 2020.

The steel cutting ceremony of the first patrol vessel (OPV - Offshore Patrol Vessel) ordered to Fincantieri by the Qatari Ministry of Defence within the national naval acquisition programme, took place today at the Muggiano (La Spezia) yard.