Riyadh: The giant Greek cargo ship “Georgios—G”, which is about 40-years-old, has turned into a tourist attraction in the northwest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Tabuk region, on the shores of Bir Al-Mashi in Haql Governorate near the Jordanian border, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday.
Story behind Greek cargo ship Georgios — G
‘Georgios G’ was built in England after the end of the Second World War, and in 1958 was launched as a cargo liner owned by several individuals and companies. It is 71.6 meters long, 11 meters wide and 4.9 meters high.
The ship was owned by a Greek company during its ill-fated voyage when it was stranded on a reef off the Saudi coast in 1978 carrying a cargo of flour.
Georgios G, which was caught on the reefs of the coast, got stuck due to the narrowness of the navigable route. The steep mountain edge rising from the sea made the passage through the valley difficult to manoeuvre.
Saudi businessman, Amer Muhammad Al-Senussi, had bought the ship. However, unfortunately for him, the ship caught fire after the crash caused by an ignition spark while technicians were trying to restart the engine. The fire lasted several days until it subsided, after which it destroyed everything in the ship except for the iron parts.
It is worth noting that some call it the “Saudi titanic” as it resembles the same incident in which the titanic collided in the glacier and sank in the water.