Saudis Want Littoral Combat Ship

From Strategypage:

Saudi Arabia. Saudi Chief-of-Naval Operations, Vice Admiral Prince Fahd bin Abdullah, has recently expressed considerable interest in the US Navy’s new “Littoral Combat Ship” (LCS). The LCS is to displace 2,500 tons, with a full load draft of under ten feet, permitting access to very shallow “green” and even “brown” coastal and riverine waters, where most naval operations have taken place in the past generation.
...Saudi interest in the LCS is prompted by a number of considerations. The LCS’s shallow draft is particularly suited to Saudi needs, as most of the waters around the kingdom are relatively shallow. In addition, the Royal Saudi Navy has had persistent difficulties securing sufficient quality manpower to operate larger vessels, a problem that smartship technologies would help resolve.