Tesla Cuts Prices Around Globe, Including Middle East, after US Cuts

FILE PHOTO: Tesla's Model 3 is displayed during an event a day ahead of the official opening of the 2023 Munich Auto Show IAA Mobility, in Munich, Germany, September 4, 2023. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tesla's Model 3 is displayed during an event a day ahead of the official opening of the 2023 Munich Auto Show IAA Mobility, in Munich, Germany, September 4, 2023. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth/File Photo
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Tesla Cuts Prices Around Globe, Including Middle East, after US Cuts

FILE PHOTO: Tesla's Model 3 is displayed during an event a day ahead of the official opening of the 2023 Munich Auto Show IAA Mobility, in Munich, Germany, September 4, 2023. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tesla's Model 3 is displayed during an event a day ahead of the official opening of the 2023 Munich Auto Show IAA Mobility, in Munich, Germany, September 4, 2023. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth/File Photo

Tesla has cut prices in a number of its major markets - including in China, Germany and the Middle East - after price cuts in the United States - as it grapples with falling sales and an intensifying price war for electric vehicles (EVs), especially against cheaper Chinese EVs.
The swathe of price cuts comes after Elon Musk's EV maker reported this month that its global vehicle deliveries in the first quarter fell for the first time in nearly four years.
Tesla cut the starting price of the revamped Model 3 in China by 14,000 yuan ($1,930) to 231,900 yuan ($32,000), its official website showed on Sunday.
In Germany, the carmaker trimmed the price of its Model 3 rear wheel drive to 40,990 euros ($43,670.75) from 42,990 euros, where the price has been since February, Reuters reported.
There were also price cuts in many other countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, a Tesla spokesperson said.
The carmaker cut US prices of its Model Y, Model X and Model S vehicles by $2,000 on Friday. On Saturday it slashed the price of its Full Self-Driving driver assistant software to $8,000 from $12,000 in the United States.
The EV maker has been slow to refresh its ageing models as high interest rates have sapped consumer appetite for big-ticket items, while rivals in China, the world's largest auto market, are rolling out cheaper models.
This weekend, Musk postponed a planned trip to India, where he was to have met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing obligations at Tesla. The trip was to have included the announcement of plans for Tesla to enter the South Asian market, Reuters reported on Saturday.
Musk said last Monday that Tesla will lay off more than 10% of its global workforce as the automaker braces for its first annual drop in deliveries.
The announcement came after Reuters reported on April 5 that Tesla had scrapped its plan to develop its long-awaited affordable EV in favor of robotaxis. Musk posted that "Reuters is lying" after the report, without citing any inaccuracies. He has not spoken further about the model, leaving investors clamoring for clarity.
Tesla shares have fallen 40.8% so far this year.



Saudi Arabia to Host Multilateral Industrial Policy Forum

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Arabia to Host Multilateral Industrial Policy Forum

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia, in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), will host the Multilateral Industrial Policy Forum (MIPF) in October, underscoring the Kingdom's significant industrial transformation, in line with Vision 2030, and aiming to expand the Saudi industrial base and solidify its position as a leading global industrial center.
Organized by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in Riyadh, the forum is yet another substantial industrial development initiative the Kingdom relentlessly takes.
By carrying out programs focused on innovation, diversification, and boosting of the industrial sectors, including 12 strategic sectors identified in the National Industrial Strategy, Saudi Arabia seeks to raise competitiveness and support its national economy.
Beyond the National Industrial Strategy, the Kingdom has invested in developing industrial infrastructure, such as industrial cities and special economic zones, and fostered international cooperation to facilitate transfer of knowledge and technology. The forum, in which global experts and decision makers participate, is an ideal platform to exchange expertise and set best practices in industrial policies.
Saudi Arabia aims to develop policies that are in line with international standards, thus increasing the global competitiveness of its industrial sector. By leading initiatives for sustainable industrial practices, promoting international cooperation, exchanging expertise, and adopting environmentally friendly technologies, the Kingdom seeks to enhance the flexibility of its supply chains, in line with the Global Supply Chain Resilience Initiative.
The industrial sector in Saudi Arabia witnessed significant developments in 2023, including announcing major investment opportunities in targeted sectors, issuing a license for the first Saudi-made electric car brand "Ceer", and opening the first electric vehicle manufacturing factory "Lucid". The Kingdom aims to produce over 300,000 cars annually by 2030.
Attracting private sector investments is crucial to achieving the goals of the National Industrial Strategy. The industrial sector focuses on enhancing integration among various sectors and their supply chains, developing infrastructure, encouraging joint investments, promoting local content, and empowering national companies through policies, financing, and training.
In July 2022, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources launched the Future Factories Program, which aims to transform 4,000 factories from labor-intensive models to efficient, automated operations utilizing advanced industrial solutions. This initiative seeks to enhance competitiveness, improve product quality, and increase exports of Saudi non-oil products.
The ministry has also made strides in improving the regulatory and legislative environment for the industrial sector, creating an environment conducive to investments and fair competition.
The ministry's goals for 2024 and 2025 include attracting investments in targeted industrial sectors, reaching a total investment volume of SAR451 billion, adding 1,500 products to the mandatory local content list, increasing the industrial sector's contribution to non-oil GDP to SAR412 billion, and boosting non-oil exports to over SAR300 billion. Moreover, the ministry aims to launch the industrial sector governance initiative to stimulate integration and concerted efforts among relevant stakeholders.
The second edition of the Multilateral Industrial Policy Forum, hosted by Riyadh under the theme "Transforming Challenges into Sustainable Solutions through Industrial Policies", will bring together some 3,000 industry leaders from around the world, including decision makers, CEOs, industry specialists, and people interested in developing industrial policies.