Lenovo has announced that it is close to completing one of its largest and most advanced manufacturing facilities worldwide in the Saudi capital Riyadh, as part of an investment worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The move marks a major strategic expansion for the Chinese technology giant in the region.
Winston Cheng, Chief Financial Officer of Lenovo, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the new plant will be the company’s “most comprehensive” facility globally, integrating production lines for desktop and laptop computers, smartphones, and servers in a single location.
The factory, covering 200,000 square meters, is being built at Riyadh Integrated — a site managed by the Special Integrated Logistics Zone (SILZ) — and has been designed according to the highest sustainability standards. Once operational, it will produce millions of desktops, laptops, and servers bearing the “Made in Saudi Arabia” label.
The project is being developed in partnership with ALAT, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) specializing in driving industrial transformation in the Kingdom.
Cheng said the project is progressing rapidly, noting that around 2,000 employees have already been hired within nine months and that construction is nearing completion. Pilot production tests are expected to begin in December, with full-scale commercial operations slated for the second half of next year.
According to Cheng, the company has imported 10,000 tons of steel for construction and installed 12 megawatts of rooftop solar panels to ensure compliance with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.
He stressed that Lenovo aims for the facility to serve as a regional model of low-cost, sustainable manufacturing.
The project follows the completion of a $2 billion investment deal announced in January 2025, after receiving shareholder and regulatory approvals. The investment was made through three-year, zero-interest convertible bonds.
Cheng explained that the new factory is part of Lenovo’s broader plan to expand its presence across the Middle East, noting that the company has relocated its regional headquarters from the United Arab Emirates to Riyadh and is establishing research and development centers alongside the production plant.
He highlighted that employing Saudi talent is a cornerstone of Lenovo’s partnership with the local government, adding that the company’s rapid progress “would not have been possible without the contribution of local expertise.”
