- Progress on the region’s highest-value naval shipbuilding export demonstrates EDGE’s ability to deliver complex naval programmes through international partnerships
Abu Dhabi, UAE: EDGE has marked three major milestones in the AL DORRA programme for the Kuwait Naval Force, with its naval shipbuilding entity, Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB), celebrating the keel laying of the third vessel and steel cutting of the fourth and fifth vessels at the Benoi Yard of its shipbuilding partner ST Engineering Marine in Singapore.
Attending the ceremony were H.E. Sheikh Jaber Duaij Khalifa Al Sabah, Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to the Republic of Singapore, and Major General Saif Al Hamlan, Commander of the Kuwait Naval Force, alongside Omar Al Zaabi, President of EDGE Commercial cluster, David Massey, Chief Executive Officer of ADSB, Maktoom Al Shehhi, Chief Operating Officer of ADSB, and Khaled Al Naqbi, Shipbuilding Director of ADSB, together with senior representatives from ST Engineering Marine.
David Massey, Chief Executive Officer, ADSB, said: “Reaching three milestones in a single ceremony reflects the momentum we have built across the AL DORRA programme. With vessels now progressing in parallel in Singapore and the UAE, we continue to make strong progress in the AL DORRA programme for the Kuwait Naval Force. We are grateful to the Kuwait Naval Force for its continued trust and confidence, and to our partners and project teams for the dedication behind this progress.”
The eight-vessel AL DORRA programme comprises 62-metre missile boats, with three being built in Singapore and five in the UAE. It follows the AED 9 billion (USD 2.45 billion) contract signed between EDGE and the Kuwait Ministry of Defence in June 2025, under which EDGE is prime contractor for the design, construction, trials and delivery of the fleet, along with integrated logistics support, in-service support and ammunition. The first AL DORRA-class vessel, AL NOUKHITHA, was launched at ADSB’s shipyard in Abu Dhabi in February 2026.
Construction across two shipyards allows EDGE to work at speed and scale. By combining ADSB’s shipbuilding expertise with ST Engineering Marine’s naval engineering capabilities, EDGE expands production capacity and delivers advanced platforms tailored to each customer’s operational requirements.
This progress further reinforces the longstanding strategic partnership between the UAE and Kuwait, and EDGE’s position as a trusted provider of advanced naval capabilities in the region.