Tag Archives: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

News

Škoda Takes the Long Way South: Why Its Saudi Arabia Launch Matters

Škoda Auto is no stranger to expanding its footprint, but its latest move might be the company’s boldest yet: a full-scale launch into Saudi Arabia, the Middle East’s largest and fastest-growing automotive market. And Škoda isn’t going in quietly. Backed by SAMACO Motors, a long-time Volkswagen Group partner, the Czech brand is entering the Kingdom with a strategy that feels less like a test run and more like a declaration.

A Market Too Big to Ignore

Saudi Arabia’s auto sector is booming—fast. Annual sales are projected to hit one million units by 2030, and with only 156 vehicles per 1,000 people on the road today, the growth runway is massive. Škoda sees an opening: young buyers, family-focused households, and a customer base eager for high-value cars that blend practicality with modern tech.

“We’re committed to accelerating the internationalisation of our brand,” says Martin Jahn, Škoda’s Board Member for Sales and Marketing. And with the Middle East already experiencing rapid year-on-year expansion for Škoda, the Saudi move feels almost inevitable.

Showrooms That Look More Like Tech Studios

Two new Saudi showrooms—in Jeddah and Al Khobar—will open by the end of the year, each over 1,200 m² and built around a fully digital customer experience. Think video walls, touch tables, and interactive car-info stations. A flagship store in Riyadh arrives in 2026, completing the brand’s first major sales triangle in the Kingdom.

Behind the scenes, Škoda has also set up a dedicated Middle East office under the Volkswagen Group Middle East umbrella, a move designed to localise planning and accelerate growth across the region.

Arriving with a Full Garage

Škoda isn’t dipping its toe in—it’s cannonballing. The launch lineup includes:

  • Octavia – the brand’s global best-seller
  • Kushaq, Karoq, and Kodiaq – SUVs aimed directly at family buyers
  • Superb hatchback and Combi estate – arriving shortly after the first wave
  • Slavia compact saloon – slated for 2026, positioned for one of Saudi Arabia’s strongest segments

This isn’t a limited rollout; it’s a full portfolio built to match the Kingdom’s diverse buyer base.

A Partner With Serious Pull

The partnership with SAMACO Motors gives Škoda a running start. SAMACO is part of the nearly century-old Al Nahla Group and has been importing and distributing cars in Saudi Arabia since 1978. They already represent heavy hitters like Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, Bentley, and Lamborghini. Bringing Škoda into a portfolio like that doesn’t just add volume—it adds credibility.

Why This Move Matters

In the last year and a half alone, Škoda:

  • Entered the Omani market
  • Restarted operations in Qatar
  • Opened two new flagship showrooms in the UAE

Saudi Arabia is the missing piece of the puzzle. With it, Škoda establishes a continuous regional network—something every global automaker needs if it wants to compete seriously in the Middle East.

For Škoda, this isn’t just about selling cars. It’s about staking a claim in one of the most strategically valuable markets of the decade.

And if the brand’s mix of value-driven engineering, spacious designs, and increasingly tech-forward interiors hits Saudi buyers the way it has across Europe and Asia, Škoda might be the region’s next quiet success story.

Source: Škoda

News

Saudi police to use all-electric Lucid Air

Lucid Motors has been struggling with stock prices and car deliveries due to a slowdown in electric vehicle sales, and now they have signed a contract to supply the Saudi Arabian police force with Lucid Air. These are all-electric sedans that will cruise on the roads of the Kingdom.

The first copy was presented in Riyadh, and it is finished in black and white police livery. On the roof of the car, instead of a siren and police lights, there is a carrier with a drone. By pressing a button, the driver activates the drone, which takes off.

For now, there are no detailed photos of the car’s interior. All cars should be equipped with standard police equipment, with perhaps some extras.

This is not a surprise if we consider that the sovereign fund of Saudi Arabia owns 60% of the shares of Lucid Motors, and that Saudi Arabia recently signed an agreement with Lucid Group on the construction of the first ever facility for the production of electric vehicles in KSA. It is part of the Vision 2030 plan by which the largest oil producer wants to transform its economy.

Representatives of Saudi Arabia stated that this is only the beginning of what can be expected in the future, and the opening of the first Lucid Group factory will enable the realization of the recently signed agreement with the Government of Saudi Arabia on the sale of 100,000 vehicles in the next decade. The factory will be built in Jeddah and will have a capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year.

Source: MOI Saudi Arabia via X

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Saudi police to use all-electric Lucid Air
News

Will Saudi Arabia be the new leader in EV production?

Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil producer, and a few years ago it announced that it wanted to transform its economy by the end of the decade. Vision 2030 is based on “a vibrant society, a prosperous economy and an ambitious nation”. Development of the financial sector, digitization and privatization program of state-owned properties to attract foreign investment, and the vision includes a plan to make the Kingdom number one in the production of electric cars. This is possible thanks to the huge investment capacity achieved through the sale of gas and oil, and recently the Kingdom signed an agreement with Lucid Group on the construction of the first ever facility for the production of electric vehicles in KSA.

Representatives of Saudi Arabia stated that this is only the beginning of what can be expected in the future, and the opening of the first Lucid Group factory will enable the realization of the recently signed agreement with the Government of Saudi Arabia on the sale of 100,000 vehicles in the next decade. The factory will be built in Jeddah and will have a capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year.

“Saudi Arabia is on track to become a global leader in electric vehicles, aligning with its ambitious carbon reduction and renewable energy targets,” said Michael Perschke, CEO of German electric vehicle company Quantron AG.

Mordor Intelligence is a market research company, and according to their research, the market in the Middle East and Africa region will double in the next four years from the current $40.25 million to $93.10 million.

How serious the Kingdom is in its intentions to become a leader in the production of electric vehicles is also shown by the first Saudi brand of electric vehicles, Ceer, which was launched by the Saudi State Fund in cooperation with the Taiwanese company Foxconn. The plan is to produce 170,000 Ceer vehicles per year.

In 2021, the Saudi authorities pointed out that they want 30 percent of vehicles in Riyadh to be electric by the end of the decade, and according to Goldman Sachs, half of the sales of new cars worldwide by 2035 will be EVs.

Source: Lucid Group