Four ro/ro ships of 38,500 dwt each — the largest in the world to date — will be built by Sweden's Kockums shipyard, Malmo, for the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia under a $240,000,000 order.

The vessels, which will be used for shipping vehicles and trailers between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, can take 2,000 containers. They will be powered by Gotaverken-built engines. Delivery of the first unit will take place in the first quarter of 1983.

Kockums, a major builder of supertankers during the early 1970s, was acquired by the state-owned Swedyards group in 1978. The shipyard also specializes in building liquefied-gas tankers.