RIYADH: The Royal Saudi Navy has published a book charting its rich historical evolution from a small military base in Dammam to one of the strongest naval forces in the region, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
Titled “The Story of the Royal Saudi Navy: Past, Present and Future,” the book begins with the establishment and growth of the forces between 1955 and 1973. It dives into King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman’s first trip abroad to meet US President Franklin Roosevelt on an American cruiser — the USS Quincy — in the Suez Canal in 1945. A deep friendship between the Kingdom and the US was formed during that trip.
The book includes pictures and historical information about the visits of other kings and charts the development of the navy between 1974 and 2014.
The final chapter examines the forces between 2015 to 2020, including the modernization of armament systems, new projects and ship capabilities.
