JEDDAH: Lucid Group, backed by the Public Investment Fund, on Wednesday opened its first international manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Economic City.

As Lucid’s second Advanced Manufacturing Plant, AMP-2, and first international plant, the facility will produce Lucid’s groundbreaking electric vehicles for Saudi Arabia and export to other markets.

Through the development of electric transportation, Lucid will support the Saudi Green Initiative’s imperative to ensure that 30 percent of new car sales in the Kingdom are electric by 2030.

“We are delighted to make history today in Saudi Arabia by opening the country’s first car manufacturing facility, which will produce our award-winning electric vehicles and support the country’s vision for a more sustainable and diversified economy,” said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Group.

The AMP-2 facility received significant support from the Ministry of Investment, the Saudi Industrial Development Fund, and KAEC.

“As Saudi Arabia charges toward its Vision 2030, our facility will pave the way for the country’s electric automotive industry and the expansion of the supply chain, and with the support of the Saudi Government, we are proud to drive local talent development in the technology industry. We look forward to delivering Saudi-assembled cars to customers in Saudi Arabia and beyond.”

The AMP-2 facility has begun semi-knocked-down assembly and is expected to have an annual capacity of 5,000 cars. The initial operation re-assembles Lucid Air vehicle “kits” that are pre-manufactured at the company’s US AMP-1 Manufacturing Facility in Casa Grande, Arizona.

Lucid aims to transition AMP-2 to complete build unit production after the middle of the decade, with an additional annual capacity of 150,000 cars.

The plant’s strategic location near Jeddah will also act as a catalyst to further grow and expand the newly established domestic supply chain, creating demand for local suppliers and fostering long-term growth.

“Today is a proud moment for all of us at Lucid as we play a part in Saudi Arabia’s history and create long-term economic value for the country. Earlier this year, we were thrilled to introduce the first and most advanced electric vehicle, the Lucid Air, to the Saudi Arabia market,” said Faisal Sultan, vice president and managing director of Middle East, Lucid Group.

“The opening of our facility today marks the beginning of our production operations to assemble our world-class Lucid Air. AMP-2 in KAEC, in addition to our existing AMP-1 facility in Arizona, gives us the ability to efficiently fulfill the recently signed agreement with the government of Saudi Arabia to purchase up to 100,000 vehicles over a 10-year period, with an initial commitment to purchase 50,000 vehicles and an option to purchase up to an additional 50,000 vehicles over the same period.”

The facility opened at a high-profile event in the presence of PIF Gov. Yasir Al-Rumayyan.