Saudi Arabia’s first EV brand Ceer expects to complete works at its electric vehicle complex within two years, Chief Public Relations Officer Mohammed Abuazzah told Al Arabiya in an interview yesterday (watch, runtime: 6:59). He refrained from providing an exact figure for the plant’s production capacity but said it was estimated in the multiples of 100k of vehicles. Ceer awarded a SAR 5 bn (USD 1.3 bn) construction contract for the complex to local contractor Modern Building Leaders last week.

What we know: Located in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), Ceer’s EV complex will span over 1 mn sqm, with a bit more than half of that figure being under a roof. It will include press, body, and paint shops, as well as a general assembly line, it said. The complex will also include zones for logistics, waste management, storage, offices, water treatment, and a vehicle testing track.

About Ceer: The company is expected to contribute USD 8 bn to GDP by 2034 and to be a magnet for more than USD 150 mn in foreign direct investment. Ceer’s EVs are expected to hit the market in 2025. It will license component technology from BMW in the development process.

The Apple connection: Creer is a JV between the Public Investment Fund and Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry Company, or Foxconn. Foxconn is best known as the largest maker of Apple iPhones.

Lucid is already in the first days of assembly here: US EV manufacturer Lucid — in which the PIF owns a 60% stake — inaugurated in September its first overseas production facility in KAEC. It plans to produce 155k EVs yearly in the Kingdom once it hits full capacity here in 2025.

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