Dammam | November 02, 2025 — BETH

The International Maritime Industries (IMI) signed today an agreement with “ARO Drilling” to build a new offshore drilling rig named “Kingdom 4”, on the sidelines of the Saudi Maritime & Logistics Conference in Dammam. The agreement strengthens the long-term strategic partnership between both sides and expands ARO Drilling’s operations within Saudi territorial waters, while directly reinforcing the Kingdom’s leadership in the maritime industrial sector.

The new project reflects a shared vision aimed at redefining industry standards in Saudi Arabia, enhancing local supply chains, and supporting the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 — particularly economic diversification and sustainable industrial growth.

Chairman of International Maritime Industries, Wael Al-Jafri, emphasized that the construction of the “Kingdom 4” platform will support the development of a strong maritime supply chain, and reinforce the Kingdom’s ambition to achieve global leadership in this sector within Vision 2030 goals.

For his part, Abdulhamid Al-Dughaither, Chairman of ARO Drilling, stated that the partnership with IMI continues to grow through this new project — which supports local content and introduces new competencies and capabilities to the global maritime sector, contributing to economic diversification and leaving a lasting positive impact on industry and community.

Meanwhile, Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, CEO of International Maritime Industries, confirmed that “Kingdom 4” represents a pivotal milestone in strengthening Saudi Arabia’s maritime industrial capabilities, reiterating the commitment to developing national talent and building a globally competitive maritime sector.

The IMI facility in Ras Al-Khair — covering 12 million square meters — will be able to build up to 6 offshore drilling rigs, 25 offshore support vessels, and 18 large commercial vessels annually, including chemical tankers, product carriers, general cargo vessels, and VLCCs. The facility will also provide maintenance and repair services for up to 250 vessels and 15 drilling rigs annually.