The design of the vessels is based on the Komar class and the six ships were constructed at Alexandria, Egypt and completed by Vosper Thornycroft at Portsmouth, United Kingdom.

The October class is based on the Soviet Komar-class missile boats, which had been acquired by the Egyptian Navy in 1962.

The vessels are propelled by four CRM 12 D/SS diesel engines turning four shafts, rated at 5,400 horsepower (4,000 kW).

[2][3] They also mount a Racal Cutlass radar warning system and two Protean fixed decoy launchers.

[1] The ships were renumbered to their current names and 791, while being carried aboard a freighter, was lost overboard during the delivery voyage on 16 December 1980.