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Alkhorayef: Saudi Arabia Making Confident Strides Toward Localizing Automotive Industry

Alkhorayef spoke on Wednesday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hyundai plant at King Salman Automotive Cluster in King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah. SPA
Alkhorayef spoke on Wednesday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hyundai plant at King Salman Automotive Cluster in King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah. SPA
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Alkhorayef: Saudi Arabia Making Confident Strides Toward Localizing Automotive Industry

Alkhorayef spoke on Wednesday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hyundai plant at King Salman Automotive Cluster in King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah. SPA
Alkhorayef spoke on Wednesday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hyundai plant at King Salman Automotive Cluster in King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah. SPA

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef has said the Kingdom is making “confident strides” at an accelerated pace to localize the automotive industry.

Alkhorayef spoke on Wednesday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hyundai plant at King Salman Automotive Cluster in King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah.

He said the Kingdom’s efforts will create added value for the national economy and enhance its global competitiveness in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

The plant is being built under a strategic partnership between the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Hyundai Motor Company, a move that supports the localization of the automotive industry in the Kingdom and advances economic diversification.

The minister described the initiative as an important milestone in the journey to localize the automotive industry due to its significant impact.

He added that it will enhance industrial capabilities, strengthen supply chains, localize production, and develop local content, meeting local and regional demand for automobiles and consolidating the Kingdom's position as a global hub for the automotive industry.

He praised PIF’s role in driving industrial transformation and empowering high-value sectors with tangible economic impact in the Kingdom and the region.

He also highlighted the importance of integrated efforts by all relevant government entities in advancing the localization of the automotive industry, including the establishment of the Hyundai plant.

He thanked the Ministries of Investment, Energy, and Finance; the Ministry of Economy and Planning; the National Industrial Development Center; and the Saudi Industrial Development Fund.

Alkhorayef stressed that the project aligns with the Kingdom's accelerating industrial goals and its vision to transform ambitions into reality.

The National Industrial Strategy aims to attract three global automotive manufacturers to produce 300,000 vehicles annually within a single industrial complex, a goal now realized with Hyundai joining Lucid and Ceer.

The factory is projected to produce 50,000 vehicles annually and contribute approximately $5 billion to the Kingdom's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2045.

Hyundai has had a presence in the Saudi market for over 40 years and currently holds the second-largest market share in the Kingdom’s automotive sector.

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Business

Saudi PIF Backs Multibillion-Dollar Projects to Boost Sustainability

A solar power project in Saudi Arabia (SPA)
A solar power project in Saudi Arabia (SPA)
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Saudi PIF Backs Multibillion-Dollar Projects to Boost Sustainability

A solar power project in Saudi Arabia (SPA)
A solar power project in Saudi Arabia (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has fully allocated the proceeds of its green bond issuance, directing $9 billion to eligible projects, in a move that highlights the sovereign wealth fund’s growing role in shaping a more sustainable future and delivering lasting positive impact worldwide.

According to a recent report issued by the Public Investment Fund, reviewed by Asharq Al-Awsat, the expected impact of the fund’s eligible green projects includes generating 427 megawatts of renewable energy, avoiding emissions equivalent to 5.1 million tons of carbon dioxide, and treating 4 million cubic meters of wastewater.

The Public Investment Fund aims to establish itself as an active participant in global debt markets, while also fostering the development of a dynamic domestic market. This would enable the fund to access short- or long-term liquidity through a diverse range of financing instruments.

Financing strategy

The fund’s capital markets program aims to further strengthen its financing strategy and execution capabilities, both at the level of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund and across its portfolio companies, while enabling deeper engagement with global and local debt markets.

The program will also support expanding the fund’s capacity to raise debt and deploy it as a source of investment financing, in line with its overall funding strategy. This approach is designed to instill greater discipline in cash flow management and enhance returns on equity for the fund and its portfolio companies.

The green bond issuance will provide the fund with access to a broader pool of investors who prioritize environmental, social, and governance considerations in their investment decisions. It will also allow investors to diversify their portfolios through green assets, a step expected to help accelerate the pace of green investment globally.

Climate change

The fund has taken concrete steps to advance governance and policy, focusing on sustainability, and is a founding member of the One Planet Sovereign Wealth Funds initiative. This international platform aims to accelerate the integration of climate change considerations into asset management decisions and investment opportunities.

As an investment vehicle, the Public Investment Fund operates through acquiring stakes in companies aligned with its mandate, including ACWA Power and Lucid.

It has also established the Saudi Investment Recycling Company, a leader in waste management and recycling, manages the National Energy Services Company, Tarshid, and supports the creation of a voluntary carbon market in the Middle East and North Africa.

These efforts aim to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as one of the world’s most energy-efficient countries.

The green bond issuance will finance tangible projects on the ground, helping to accelerate the green transition and advance the Kingdom’s core targets of achieving net zero emissions by 2060 and generating 50 percent of electricity consumption from renewable energy sources by 2030.

This forms a key pillar of the renewable energy program implemented by the fund, which involves developing 70 percent of renewable power generation capacity.

Business

Saudi E-Commerce Hits Record Monthly Sales over SAR30.7 Billion in October

A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA file)
A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA file)
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Saudi E-Commerce Hits Record Monthly Sales over SAR30.7 Billion in October

A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA file)
A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA file)

E-commerce sales in Saudi Arabia via "mada" cards soared to an all-time monthly high in October 2025, surpassing SAR30.7 billion.

The surge in sales represents a 68% year-on-year increase, totaling about SAR12.4 billion more than the SAR18.3 billion recorded in October 2024, according to the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) statistical bulletin on Wednesday.

E-commerce sales for the third quarter (Q3) of 2025 hit SAR88.3 billion, up 15.2% from the previous quarter, representing an increase of about SAR11.6 billion over the SAR76.6 billion recorded in Q2.

On a monthly basis, e-commerce sales in October rose 6%, gaining approximately SAR1.6 billion over September’s total of SAR29.1 billion.

From January to October, "mada" data showed e-commerce sales grew 47.3%, rising by around SAR9.9 billion over the SAR20.9 billion recorded in January.

These figures cover transactions made via "mada" cards on e-commerce websites, apps, and digital wallets, and do not include credit-card payments.

Business

Jeddah's King Abdulaziz Airport Launches First Direct Flight to Moscow

The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location. (SPA)
The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location. (SPA)
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Jeddah's King Abdulaziz Airport Launches First Direct Flight to Moscow

The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location. (SPA)
The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location. (SPA)

Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) celebrated the launch of its first direct flynas flight to Moscow, operating three weekly flights between Jeddah and Vnukovo International Airport.

This initiative, in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority and the Air Connectivity Program, boosts air links between Saudi Arabia and Russia.

It marks KAIA's third direct Russian destination, following Makhachkala and Mineralnye Vody, which were inaugurated earlier this month by Azimuth Airlines.

The expansion supports Jeddah Airports Company’s goal of broadening travel options and increasing air traffic revenue, leveraging the Kingdom's strategic location.