Friends, feast your eyes on this magnificent sight! If you were to stand today at the King Abdullah Port in Rabigh, you would witness a scene that makes the heart dance with pride. Giant ships are docked, and cars are being loaded by the thousands. But this time, the cars aren’t arriving from abroad; they are our cars, “Made in Saudi Arabia,” and they are heading out to conquer global markets. It is 2026, and the promise made by HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman has become a living reality. Saudi Arabia has officially begun exporting “Ceer,” the national brand, and “Lucid,” the global luxury brand, both manufactured by the hands of our sons and daughters in the heart of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC). Remember when we used to ask, “When will we manufacture a car?” Today, the answer is not only that we have manufactured them, but that we are competing with the world’s largest manufacturers on their own turf with the technology of the future: Electric Vehicles (EVs).
The scene at the “Ceer” factory in 2026 resembles a science fiction movie. Robots and Artificial Intelligence operate with absolute precision, while Saudi engineers oversee every bolt and every smart chip installed in the vehicles. Today, the Ceer car is the talk of the international press because it combines German technology (through a partnership with BMW) and global manufacturing expertise (through a partnership with Foxconn) to produce a product with a Saudi soul and world-class specifications. Today, the first shipment of Ceer sedans and SUVs has begun moving toward markets in the GCC, the Middle East, and even countries in Europe and North Africa. This is not just an industrial achievement; it is an official declaration that Saudi Arabia has become a new “center of gravity” in the global EV industry, and the “Saudi Made” logo has become a mark of quality demanded by everyone.
On the other side, we have “Lucid.” The factory, which began its journey years ago, is now producing thousands of vehicles annually in 2026, including the luxury “Lucid Air” and new SUV models. What truly makes one proud is that Lucid chose Saudi Arabia to be its global export base for the region and Europe. This means a customer in London, Dubai, or even Paris, when purchasing a Lucid in 2026, will find the label “Made in Saudi Arabia.” This soft and economic power is exactly what was planned. Saudi Arabia is no longer just an oil exporter; it has become an exporter of minds, technology, and innovation, becoming an integral part of the global supply chain for green vehicles that protect the planet.
The investment in this sector in 2026 did not stop at building factories; it created a “complete ecosystem.” The Kingdom is now investing in lithium mines and rare minerals essential for battery production, and we have the largest processing plants for these materials in Yanbu and Jubail. This means we own the entire supply chain from start to finish. Young Saudis in 2026 are racing to study automotive engineering and AI because they see that a job at Ceer or Lucid is a job of the future, offering competitive salaries and a world-class work environment. More than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs have been created by this sector so far, and the number grows with every export ship that leaves our ports.
The economic impact of this transformation in 2026 is clearly visible in the non-oil GDP figures. The automotive industry is now contributing billions of Riyals and has spurred activity in other sectors such as logistics, insurance, and smart maintenance centers. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia in 2026 has become the “global laboratory” for autonomous driving technologies, as our cities like NEOM and “The Line” are equipped with infrastructure that supports these vehicles. Today, we are not just selling “steel and motors”; we are selling a smart and sustainable life experience. With every Saudi car driving on the world’s streets, the Kingdom’s name rises higher, proving to all that Vision 2030 is the engine that moved us from an era of single-resource dependence to an era of global leadership and pioneering in all fields.
Are the prices of Ceer and Lucid cars manufactured in Saudi Arabia cheaper for citizens than imported ones? In 2026, yes, Saudi citizens enjoy significant competitive advantages. Since manufacturing is local, logistical costs and customs are much lower. Additionally, there are government support programs and facilitated financing from Saudi banks to encourage the transition to electric vehicles. The Ceer car, in particular, was designed to suit the budget of the Saudi family across various segments, offering massive savings on fuel and maintenance costs.
What is the status of charging stations in the Kingdom now that we have started exporting these cars? The charging infrastructure in 2026 is available in every corner of the Kingdom. The Saudi “EVIQ” company has successfully deployed thousands of fast-charging stations on highways, in malls, public parking lots, and even residential complexes. You can now travel from Riyadh to NEOM or from Jeddah to Abha in your electric car with total peace of mind, as you will find a fast charger every 50 kilometers, capable of charging most of the battery in less than 20 minutes.
In conclusion, the moment the first ship loaded with Saudi cars departed in 2026 is a moment of victory for every Saudi who believed in the dream. Today, we have become a major industrial nation, and the world is driving our cars and using our technologies. This achievement is the fruit of hard work, sleepless nights, and monumental planning, and it is just the beginning for other industrial sectors that will make Saudi Arabia the “smartest factory” in the world. The future is bigger, our ambition has no brakes, and may our nation continue to prosper, building its future with its own hands and exporting it to the entire world with confidence and pride.
