Mauritius supports Saudi Arabia’s hosting of Expo 2030 as it’s the best candidate: Minister

Ganoo said that he had been impressed by the Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2020 and that this had contributed heavily to the decision. (SUPPLIED)
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Updated 29 April 2022
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Mauritius supports Saudi Arabia’s hosting of Expo 2030 as it’s the best candidate: Minister

RIYADH: Mauritius will vote for Saudi Arabia to host Expo 2030 because it believes the Kingdom has the best capabilities among the candidate nations, according to the Mauritian minister in charge of of foreign affairs, regional integration and international trade.

Alan Ganoo, who is also the minister of land transport and light rail, told Arab News that the current hostilities between the other two candidates — Russia and Ukraine — plus the abilities the Kingdom demonstrated with its pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai were leading factors in the decision.

“As you know, the decision will be made next year,” he said. “Nevertheless, we have been following the selection process and we have also been attentive to selecting the ideal candidate. We believe that such a global event should be made on the basis of certain principles, such as rotation and geography.


Read More: Saudi Arabia launches bid to host World Expo 2030 in Riyadh


“Given the pertinence of the event in spearheading and in promoting economics, trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, it is important to us that the state should have the means and the capacity to make the event unique rather than being a usual exposition.”

Five countries — Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Italy, Ukraine and Russia — are competing to host the global event.




Alan Ganoo

Ganoo said that he had been impressed by the Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2020 and that this had contributed heavily to his country’s decision.

“We had a glimpse of what Saudi Arabia is capable of doing when we visited the Saudi Pavilion,” he added.

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Following his visit to the pavilion, Ganoo conveyed his views in support of the Kingdom’s Expo 2030 bid to his country’s prime minister, Pravind Jugnauth, and his colleagues.

“I must also tell you that I’ve exchanged views on the Saudi candidacy with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir,” he said.




Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2020

“I informed him that Saudi Arabia has the best chance of all the candidates, especially if you consider the present world circumstances, such as the hostility between the two other candidates, Russia and Ukraine.”

Ganoo added that the Kingdom and Mauritius enjoy a close relationship and his country is exploring ways to increase the number of Saudi tourists after a decline in the number of visitors from Europe, which had been a major source of national revenue.


PIF-backed EV maker Lucid hits 16k 2025 deliveries, sets sights on robotaxi deployment

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PIF-backed EV maker Lucid hits 16k 2025 deliveries, sets sights on robotaxi deployment

RIYADH: Electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Group, majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, announced a surge in deliveries in 2025 with volumes reaching 15,841 units, a 55 percent increase year-on-year.

According to a statement, the EV maker also provided an optimistic production outlook for 2026, signaling confidence in its operational turnaround and strategic shift toward autonomy.

In September 2023, the group opened its first-ever international car manufacturing facility in the Kingdom. The hub serves as the company’s second Advanced Manufacturing Plant and its first outside of the US.

According to the earnings report, the company delivered 5,345 vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 72 percent from the same period in the previous year, marking its eighth consecutive quarter of record deliveries.

Interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said that 2025 “was all about execution and strategy adjustment to set Lucid up for long-term success. Against a challenging macro backdrop, we nearly doubled production, gained market share, reduced unit costs, and strengthened our financial position.”

This commercial momentum translated directly into financial gains. Lucid’s fourth-quarter revenue soared 123 percent to $522.7 million, while full-year 2025 earnings climbed 68 percent to $1.35 billion. The company ended the quarter with a robust liquidity position of approximately $4.6 billion.

A key driver of the improved performance was the ramp-up of production, including the launch of the Lucid Gravity SUV. Despite facing supply chain and tariff headwinds, Lucid nearly doubled its total production for the year.

The company clarified its final production figures for 2025, reporting a total of 17,840 vehicles. This aligns with its previous guidance of approximately 18,000 units.

Lucid explained that a preliminary estimate of 18,378 units, announced in early January, was revised after 538 vehicles were found not to have completed the final internal validation procedures required to be classified as “produced.”

These vehicles are expected to be finalized in 2026, and the company stressed the revision does not impact previously reported financial results.

The manufacturer expects to produce between 25,000 and 27,000 vehicles in 2026, representing growth of up to 51 percent compared with 2025.

Chief Financial Officer Taoufiq Boussaid said: “Q4 marked a clear step-change in production and unit economics. The progress we made is structural, creating a more repeatable and stable operating cadence heading into 2026.”

Beyond the production numbers, Lucid outlined a pivot toward software and autonomy. Winterhoff highlighted the company’s ambition to become an “early mover in the emerging robotaxi market” by leveraging its industry-leading EV technology and strategic partnerships.

To fund these future growth platforms while maintaining financial discipline, the company is making targeted adjustments to its workforce.

“As we prepare for the next stage of our product and volume expansion, we are making targeted adjustments to our US-based, non-manufacturing workforce to reallocate resources to support the next stage of our growth and margin progression,” Boussaid added.

He reiterated the company’s commitment to “financial rigor, operational efficiency, and thoughtful capital allocation.”

In January 2025, the EV maker became the first global automotive company to join the Kingdom’s “Made in Saudi” program, granting it the right to use the “Saudi Made” label on its products, symbolizing the nation’s focus on quality and innovation.

Lucid’s facility, located in King Abdullah Economic City, can currently assemble 5,000 vehicles annually during its first phase. Once fully operational, the complete manufacturing plant, including the assembly line, is expected to produce up to 155,000 electric cars per year. 

This comes as the Kingdom is promoting the adoption of electric vehicles as part of its Vision 2030 strategy, which aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.
A critical target of the initiative is for 30 percent of all vehicles in Riyadh to be electric by 2030, contributing to a broader goal of reducing emissions in the capital by 50 percent.