NEOM Kicks off Work on First Phase of Residential Complexes

Visitors watch a 3D presentation during an exhibition on NEOM in Riyadh, October 25. (Reuters)
Visitors watch a 3D presentation during an exhibition on NEOM in Riyadh, October 25. (Reuters)
TT

NEOM Kicks off Work on First Phase of Residential Complexes

Visitors watch a 3D presentation during an exhibition on NEOM in Riyadh, October 25. (Reuters)
Visitors watch a 3D presentation during an exhibition on NEOM in Riyadh, October 25. (Reuters)

The NEOM company on Tuesday started construction work on the first phase of residential complexes dedicated to project workers’ housing. The first phase will house 30,000 workers who will be moving to NEOM to develop different areas of the project.

Building work kicked off with the attendance of NEOM Chief Executive Nadhmi al-Nasr as well as heads of the two Saudi companies who won contracts for the construction of the complexes, Al-Tamimi Group and Saudi Arabian Trading & Construction Co. ( SATCO).

The contracts allow the companies to operate the housing for 10 years. This is considered the first investment opportunity listed by NEOM.

Nasr urged developers to focus on the local content and increase the quantity of manufactured products and inputs in Saudi Arabia in support of the local economy and in tandem with the Saudi approach to boost local content in giant projects.

This meets guidelines of NEOM board of directors, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

NEOM Chief Executive demanded firms to create job opportunities to residents of NEOM, pledging to back these firms in all means to achieve human development.

The residential region consists of several complexes in which Al-Tamimi Group has contracts to build two residential complexes with each fitting to 10,000 workers, while SATCO would construct a similar complex with the same capacity.

The project workers’ housing would provide a life-pattern that seeks to prepare an adequate business environment that goes in tandem with the goals of NEOM and the best world practices.

NEOM is located in an area of about 26.5 thousand square kilometers in the north-west of the kingdom. The project would be a pillar of economic transformation within Saudi Vision 2030 to provide various income sources through NEOM economic sectors and real estate investments.



Lucid Beats Estimates for EV Deliveries

A Lucid Motors facility is pictured in Costa Mesa, California, US, November 1, 2023. (Reuters)
A Lucid Motors facility is pictured in Costa Mesa, California, US, November 1, 2023. (Reuters)
TT

Lucid Beats Estimates for EV Deliveries

A Lucid Motors facility is pictured in Costa Mesa, California, US, November 1, 2023. (Reuters)
A Lucid Motors facility is pictured in Costa Mesa, California, US, November 1, 2023. (Reuters)

Lucid Group reported record fourth-quarter deliveries on Monday, surpassing Wall Street expectations for quarterly deliveries, as the Saudi Arabia-backed maker of luxury electric vehicles lowered prices and offered cheaper financing to drive demand.

The company’s shares rose 7.6% before trading began on Monday.

The EV maker has lowered prices and offered incentives including cheaper financing to woo customers away from cheaper hybrid vehicles amid high interest rates.

The company handed over 3,099 vehicles in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with estimates of 2,637, according to six analysts polled by Visible Alpha.

That represented growth of 11% over the third quarter and 78% higher than the fourth quarter a year earlier.

Production rose about 42% year-over-year to 3,386 vehicles in the reported quarter, surpassing estimates of 2,904 units.

For 2024, production rose 7% to 9,029 vehicles, topping the company's target of 9,000 vehicles. Annual deliveries grew 71% to 10,241 vehicles.

Lucid started taking orders for its Gravity SUV in November, in a bid to enter the lucrative SUV sector and take some market share from Rivian and Tesla.

Rivian on Friday topped analysts' estimates for quarterly deliveries and said its production was no longer constrained by a component shortage.

But Tesla reported its first fall in yearly deliveries, in part due to the company's aging lineup.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) first invested in Lucid in 2018, and steadily accumulated more shares until it held a majority ownership when the startup went public in 2021 through a combination with a special purpose acquisition company.

Lucid raised $3 billion from an offering of common stock and an investment by PIF announced in May of last year.

The company also raised $1.75 billion in October through a stock sale that CEO Peter Rawlinson believes will provide Lucid with a "cash runway well into 2026".

Lucid is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter results on Feb. 25.