China's BYD accelerates Saudi expansion as Tesla boosts EV awareness in kingdom
BYD, which launched in Saudi Arabia last year and currently runs three showrooms there, aims to open another seven locations by the second half of 2026, according to Jerome Saigot, managing director for Saudi Arabia.
The firm expects to sell more than 5,000 vehicles this year in the kingdom, a drop in the bucket for BYD's overall sales but sizeable in a market where petrol-guzzling cars dominate the roads and EV adoption has been slow.
'Saudi is a complex market. You need to go fast. You need to think big,' Saigot said. 'We are not here to stay at five or 10,000 cars a year.'
10:08
How Chinese companies have pulled ahead of Tesla in the electric vehicle race
How Chinese companies have pulled ahead of Tesla in the electric vehicle race
Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in the EV industry through its Public Investment Fund as part of a broader strategy to cut emissions, curb car imports and diversify the local economy. The PIF has backed Lucid Motors as the carmaker works on building Saudi Arabia's first car manufacturing plant. It has also created its own EV brand known as Ceer and started a joint venture to build EV charging stations.
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