Group : Frigates
Status : Active
Also Known As : Sawari I
Origin : France
Contractor : Naval Group
Initial Operational Capability (IOC) : 1985
Total Production : 4

The Al Madinah is a class of light missile frigates built by France in the early 1980s under the Sawari I program for the Royal Saudi Naval Force (RSNF). These 2,160-ton class ship are designed to carry out anti-submarine (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) missions with limited air defense capabilities utilizing one 8-cell Crotale missile launcher. The propulsion system consists of four diesel engines developing 32,500-bhp with two shafts allowing for a top speed of 30 knots. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) commissioned four ships in 1985 and 1986. In September 2013, the KSA awarded France 1 billion Euro contract for the modernization of four Al Madinah frigates.

The Al Madinah-class ships are equipped with eight Otomat anti-ship missiles, one 8-cell Crotale Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM) with another 18 missiles in reserve (26 missiles in total) and a Dauphin helicopter operating from these vessels thanks to an hangar and flight deck. Besides, the Al Madinah frigates are fitted with a 100mm 44-caliber dual purpose naval gun system, two 40mm anti-aircraft (AA) guns and four torpedo tubes. The sensor package includes a DRBV-15 air search radar, a TSM 2630 hull-mounted sonar and TSM 2630 variable depth sonar.