By Anas Alyusuf

JEDDAH — In a groundbreaking moment for the automotive industry, Lucid Group officially opened Saudi Arabia’s first-ever car manufacturing facility on Wednesday.

This milestone marks the debut of Lucid’s second Advanced Manufacturing Plant (AMP-2) and its inaugural international production site, poised to manufacture cutting-edge electric vehicles for the Saudi market and beyond.

Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO of Lucid, revealed the facility’s early production status. “The production here has already started. Now we have a total install capability, a capacity for up to 5,000 units a year, and this is in our AMP 2 factory,” he told Saudi Gazette.

However, Rawlinson unveiled even more ambitious plans for the near future, saying “But the truly exciting phase is coming in just over three years from now when we build a building much larger than this alongside this facility.”

This expansion is projected to boast a staggering capacity “30 times that of 150,000 units per year,” coinciding with the launch of Lucid’s midsize platform, aimed at offering a more affordable electric car to the masses.

Rawlinson also expressed Lucid’s commitment to sourcing more materials locally. “We hope to be able to source far more materials from the Kingdom in the future.”

Currently, the factory assembles kits imported from Lucid’s primary manufacturing plants in Arizona.

Rawlinson announced that “Customers are taking delivery of their Saudi-assembled Lucid vehicles as we speak,” signifying a significant leap forward for the company’s reach.

He said: “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.”

Rawlinson emphasized the alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, highlighting the facility’s role in advancing the country’s electric automotive industry, supply chain expansion, and local talent development in the technology sector.

The AMP-2 facility has initiated semi knocked-down (SKD) assembly, re-assembling Lucid Air vehicle ‘kits’ 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 (CBU) production after the middle of the decade.

Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih said that this is not an ordinary factory. “It is a statement, a statement highlighting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s ambitions, capabilities and our resolute dedication to our future that is environmentally friendly, exciting and innovative.”