Russian shipbuilders considering joint enterprise with Saudi Arabia - Alikhanov

YEKATERINBURG. July 7 (Interfax) - Russia and Saudi Arabia are discussing a new partnership in shipbuilding, which could involve building assembly facilities with the involvement of Russian companies on Saudi territory, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov told journalists at the sidelines of the Innoprom exhibition.

Alikhanov had conducted talks with Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar al-Khorayef at the exhibition.

"Our colleagues currently have an actively developing shipbuilding cluster and produce different shipbuilding equipment. We have just agreed in our joint meeting to look into how we can be of use, because we are also doing serious work to develop our ship component equipment sector, and our ships actually have a good amount of experience. We have Emperium [Emperium LLC of Moscow, part of Sitronics Group], which produces electric catamarans, and Alexeev's Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau [The R. E. Alexeev Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau of Nizhny Novgorod] is also interested in building assembly facilities there," Alikhanov said.

He said that the partnership could possibly take the form of "some joint enterprises, joint assembly, production facilities".

He said that the parties did not discuss collaboration in the production of large-tonnage vessels.