King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), the Kingdom’s national laboratory, and Lucid Group, the manufacturer of some of the world’s most advanced electric vehicles, have inaugurated the first Electric Vehicle Innovation Center in the Middle East, located in Saudi Arabia.
The announcement was made in the presence of President of KACST Dr Munir bin Mahmoud El-Desouki, said a Saudi Press Agency report.
According to a KACST press release, the centre serves as a key platform bringing together local, regional, and global research expertise, reflecting KACST’s ongoing commitment to innovation and reinforcing Lucid’s leadership in advanced technologies. It is focused on enhancing the efficiency, functionality, and performance across Lucid’s product portfolio, contributing to their accelerated development, strengthening their leadership within their segment, and supporting the growth of the Kingdom’s future mobility sector.
Interim CEO at Lucid Marc Winterhoff stated: “This new innovation centre embodies our ongoing commitment to leading the advancement of electric vehicle technology, and our support toward strengthening Saudi Arabia a hub for technological innovation. By combining Lucid’s engineering expertise with KACST’s advanced research capabilities, we will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Our teams are eager to begin the planned work together, recognizing this research will help shape the future of sustainable mobility.”
Senior Vice President for Research and Development at KACST, Dr Talal bin Ahmed Al-Sedairy, emphasised that the centre represents a pivotal step in enabling Saudi talent to develop future technologies in electric vehicles, batteries, and smart systems. The centre enhances local content and bolsters the Kingdom’s capabilities in advanced industries, supporting the goals of Vision 2030 and broader national aspirations. It unites scientific research with advanced industrial applications within a single framework, fostering the growth of a knowledge- and innovation-based economy.
“This cooperation contributes to the transfer and localization of advanced, high-impact technologies, the establishment of new industrial value chains, and the strengthening of integration between the research, development, and innovation system, the industrial strategy, and the investment strategy, thereby accelerating the transformation of knowledge into products and technologies that support the future of sustainable mobility and enhance the competitiveness of the national economy,” Al-Sedairy said.
“The opening of this centre is a major step forward in Lucid’s commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said President of Lucid Middle East Faisal Sultan. “This collaboration strengthens our regional presence, nurtures local talent, and contributes to building a vibrant technology ecosystem aligned with Vision 2030.”
The centre was developed in collaboration with KACST, one of the Kingdom’s leading research, development, and innovation institutions, forming the second phase of the ongoing strategic partnership between the two parties. Its purpose is to advance scientific research, support innovation, and develop sustainable technologies by leveraging specialized Saudi expertise.
The centre began its operations as a specialised facility for testing and validation and has since evolved to cover all stages of electric vehicle development. It represents a qualitative leap in the collaborative efforts between the two parties and serves as an extension of Lucid's comprehensive network of facilities in the United States.
The centre will dedicate its efforts to advanced research, support the dissemination of the company’s world-leading technologies, and play a pivotal role in developing future products. It will serve as a key pillar of the Kingdom’s national research and development infrastructure and actively contribute to the innovation and industrial application of future technologies within the country.
