ROSHN and EVIQ Accelerate EV Adoption in Saudi Arabia

ROSHN Group, Saudi Arabia's leading real estate developer and PIF-owned giga-project
ROSHN Group, Saudi Arabia's leading real estate developer and PIF-owned giga-project
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ROSHN and EVIQ Accelerate EV Adoption in Saudi Arabia

ROSHN Group, Saudi Arabia's leading real estate developer and PIF-owned giga-project
ROSHN Group, Saudi Arabia's leading real estate developer and PIF-owned giga-project

ROSHN Group, Saudi Arabia's leading real estate developer and PIF-owned giga-project, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Company (EVIQ), a leading provider of EV charging solutions to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) across Saudi Arabia.
Under the terms of the MoU, ROSHN and EVIQ will cooperate in evaluating, assessing and developing direct-current infrastructure solutions for EVs within residential communities and commercial properties developed by ROSHN spanning the Kingdom.

The MoU is a significant milestone in ROSHN's and EVIQ's efforts to promote the adoption of EVs to create a more sustainable future for the Kingdom. This agreement represents a new era of accessibility and convenience for the public, aligning with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 objective of increasing the number of electric vehicles on the roads of Riyadh to 30%.

"We are delighted to be working with EVIQ as part of our strategy to implement cutting-edge technologies and partner with best-in-class collaborators,” said CEO of ROSHN Group David Grover.

“This agreement underscores our dedication to creating a robust EV ecosystem, which began with ROSHN Front, the iconic Riyadh destination with over 800,000 visitors each month, proudly hosting EVIQ's inaugural public EV charging facility,” he said.

“We are thrilled to be expanding our collaboration to provide EV charging infrastructure throughout ROSHN's humanized, integrated communities across the Kingdom,” he added.

The CEO of EVIQ, Mohammad Baker Gazzaz, said the agreement signals the commitment of both companies to a mutual objective of improving quality of life.

“EVIQ's advanced EV charging technology combined with the coverage of ROSHN's integrated communities and properties will result in a widespread network of high-speed chargers in strategic locations around the kingdom, which will result in a positive experience for EV users and support the EV adoption objectives of Saudi Arabia."

The collaboration between ROSHN and EVIQ will also see the launch of the Kingdom's first fast-charging public site launch at ROSHN Front in Riyadh.

This strategic alliance aims to leverage the expertise of both entities to enhance the infrastructure and support systems crucial for the widespread adoption of EVs in the region.

The partnership with EVIQ aligns with ROSHN's ambitions to raise the bar for the real estate industry through innovation, sustainability, and integrity.



China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
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China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China announced Friday that it would expand visa-free entry to citizens of nine more countries as it seeks to boost tourism and business travel to help revive a sluggish economy.
Starting Nov. 30, travelers from Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia and Japan will be able to enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
That will bring to 38 the number of countries that have been granted visa-free access since last year. Only three countries had visa-free access previously, and theirs had been eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The permitted length of stay for visa-free entry is being increased from the previous 15 days, Lin said, and people participating in exchanges will be eligible for the first time. China has been pushing people-to-people exchange between students, academics and others to try to improve its sometimes strained relations with other countries, The Associated Press reported.
China strictly restricted entry during the pandemic and ended its restrictions much later than most other countries. It restored the previous visa-free access for citizens of Brunei and Singapore in July 2023, and then expanded visa-free entry to six more countries — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia — on Dec. 1 of last year.
The program has since been expanded in tranches. Some countries have announced visa-free entry for Chinese citizens, notably Thailand, which wants to bring back Chinese tourists.
For the three months from July through September this year, China recorded 8.2 million entries by foreigners, of which 4.9 million were visa-free, the official Xinhua News Agency said, quoting a Foreign Ministry consular official.