The 99 metre patrol vessel Al-Shamikh is one of three Project Khareef corvettes being built for the Royal Navy of Oman at Portsmouth. As a long standing customer of British-built warships, Oman ordered the new ships from the VT Group for £400 million in 2007.

VT was subsequently taken over by BAE Systems which has led to delays with the construction schedule.  Displacing 2,700 tonnes the Khareef ships are larger and more seaworthy than warships of other Gulf nations as Oman’s southern coastline borders the open waters of the Indian Ocean.