EV maker Lucid Group plans to raise $3bn, mainly from Saudi PIF

From Lucid’s perspective, the proceeds will be utilized for general corporate purposes including capital expenditures and working capital, among others. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 03 June 2023
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EV maker Lucid Group plans to raise $3bn, mainly from Saudi PIF

RIYADH: Lucid Group plans to raise $3 billion through a stock offering, 66 percent of which will come from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. 

The California-based EV maker said Ayar Third Investment Co., which is its majority stockholder and an affiliate of the PIF, has agreed to buy as much as 265.7 million shares in a private placement for an estimated $1.8 billion, 

It said the remainder will be raised from a public offering of 173.5 million shares of common stock.  

The private placement is expected to close on June 26 of this year. A private placement is a process whereby stocks are sold privately to investors selected beforehand.  

Following these purchases, Ayar Third Investment Co. anticipates maintaining its 60.5 percent ownership of Lucid’s outstanding common stock.  

From Lucid’s perspective, the proceeds will be utilized for general corporate purposes including capital expenditures and working capital, among others.  

Last year, Lucid signed a deal for the construction of a plant in the Kingdom that will produce 150,000 electric vehicles per year.   

The company signed agreements with the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Industrial Development Fund, and the Economic City at King Abdullah Economic City.  

The American luxury vehicles company is expected to receive financing and incentives of up to $3.4 billion over the next 15 years to build and operate the manufacturing facility in the Kingdom.  

Located in King Abdullah Economic City, AMP-2 is the PIF-backed EV manufacturer’s first production facility outside the US.  

“We are keen to achieve high and sustainable human capital localization in line with Vision 2030,” Global Vice President and Managing Director at Lucid Faisal Sultan told Arab News in April.  

“With our recently launched Lucid Future Talent program — in collaboration with the Human Resources Development Fund — we plan to provide the right training to enrich and prepare local talent to fill future job opportunities in the Kingdom,” Sultan explained. 

 


Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector is a new economic engine between Riyadh and Paris, says ambassador

Updated 25 January 2026
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Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector is a new economic engine between Riyadh and Paris, says ambassador

RIYADH: Culture has become a fundamental pillar in bilateral relations between France and Saudi Arabia, according to the French Ambassador to the Kingdom, Patrick Maisonnave.

Maisonnave noted its connection to the entertainment and tourism sectors, which makes it a new engine for economic cooperation between Riyadh and Paris.

He told Al-Eqtisadiah during the opening ceremony of La Fabrique in the Jax district of Diriyah that cultural cooperation with Saudi Arabia is an important element for its attractiveness in the coming decades.

La Fabrique is a space dedicated to artistic creativity and cultural exchange, launched as part of a partnership between the Riyadh Art program and the French Institute in Riyadh. 

Running from Jan. 22 until Feb 14, the initiative will provide an open workspace that allows artists to develop and work on their ideas within a collaborative framework.

Launching La Fabrique as a space dedicated to artistic creativity

The ambassador highlighted that the transformation journey in the Kingdom under Vision 2030 has contributed to the emergence of a new generation of young artists and creators, alongside a growing desire in Saudi society to connect with culture and to embrace what is happening globally. 

He affirmed that the relationship between the two countries is “profound, even cultural par excellence,” with interest from the Saudi side in French culture, matched by increasing interest from the French public and cultural institutions unfolding in the Kingdom.

Latest estimates indicate that the culture-based economy represents about 2.3 percent of France’s gross domestic product, equivalent to more than 90 billion euros ($106.4 billion) in annual revenues, according to government data. The sector directly employs more than 600,000 people, making it one of the largest job-creating sectors in the fields of creativity, publishing, cinema, and visual arts.

Saudi Arabia benefiting from French experience in the cultural field

Maisonnave explained that France possesses established cultural institutions, while Saudi Arabia is building a strong cultural sector, which opens the door for cooperation opportunities.

This comes as an extension of the signing of 10 major cultural agreements a year ago between French and Saudi institutions, aiming to enhance cooperation and transfer French expertise and knowledge to contribute to the development of the cultural system in the Kingdom.

He added that experiences like La Fabrique provide an opportunity to meet the new generation of Saudi creators, who have expressed interest in connecting with French institutions and artists in Paris and France.

La Fabrique encompasses a space for multiple contemporary artistic practices, including performance arts, digital and interactive arts, photography, music, and cinema, while providing the public with an opportunity to witness the stages of producing artistic works and interact with the creative process.