Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
EV maker Lucid Motors signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday with Saudi Arabia’s National Automotive and Vehicle Academy (NAVA) to train the local workforce, ahead of starting production of both its models in the country.
“We’re proud to have signed an MoU with NAVA to bridge the gap between technical education and industry demands,” the EV maker wrote on LinkedIn last Friday.
Both parties will “design specialized training programs in electric vehicle technologies and manufacturing,” aligning technical education with industry needs to improve the readiness of Saudi talent, NAVA said in a statement.
Lucid opened its first manufacturing plant outside the United States in September 2023 in Saudi Arabia. The facility began operations with Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) assembly, relying on vehicle kits pre-manufactured at its primary factory in Arizona.
Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has a stake of about 60% in Lucid and has founded EVIQ as a joint-venture company with the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC).
Lucid x EVIQ
Last week, the company signed another with the charging startup EVIQ to expand the partnership announced in mid-2024. Last May, the EV maker said it signed a strategic agreement with the company to collaborate in developing public high-speed charging capabilities in the Kingdom.
The company claims that will build 1,000 charging points equipped with a total of 5,000 EV chargers across the Kingdom by 2030. Currently, EVIQ has 56 charges spread across the three cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.
Lucid Gravity in Saudi Arabia
In late January, Lucid began taking orders for the Grand Touring variant of its Gravity SUV in Saudi Arabia, with prices starting at SAR 487,715 ($130,035).
After beginning to accept orders in the U.S. and Canada, the company added a third market, with orders in the UAE expected to open in the coming weeks.
The Grand Touring is available to order immediately in Saudi Arabia, while the lower-priced Touring variant will be “available to order soon,” the California-based company said.
EV Production in Saudi Arabia
Lucid’s VP and Managing Director for the Middle East, Faisal Sultan, said last month the company is “on track to produce over 10,000 vehicles annually” in Saudi Arabia. He added that production schedules would be adjusted based on overseas demand.
A few days before the end of 2024, the EV maker began delivering its second model, the Gravity SUV, to employees, friends, and families.
Customer deliveries in the U.S. are planned to start over the next few weeks while European deliveries are planned to start in early 2026.
