RIYADH: From concept to real-world impact, exhibitors at the fourth annual EV Auto Show Riyadh aim to help shape 黑料社区鈥檚 clean-mobility landscape.
The exhibition floor at the three-day event, which began on Monday, features electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles from established manufacturers and newcomers to the market.
The exhibitors include Chinese company BYD, the world鈥檚 largest manufacturer of electric vehicles; Lucid Motors; Tesla; rental company Sixt; and other Chinese automotive brands including Chery, iCaur and Jaecoo.
These international players in the electric vehicle sector praised the event for providing a good platform for networking, and shared their views on the ways in which their brands support the Kingdom鈥檚 own vision for the future of sustainable mobility.
鈥淭his is a great opportunity to meet major global players in the EV sector, and visitors interested in our products,鈥 Ruqaya Alalosi of Chinese manufacturer Rox Motors told Arab News.
One of the highlights of this year鈥檚 show is the Saudi debut of the Rox Adamas luxury all-terrain SUV, following its global unveiling in Abu Dhabi this month.
This year marks the second time fast-charging station maker Alpitronic Middle East has participated at the show.
It鈥檚 general manager, Stephan Malojer, told Arab News: 鈥淲e have to say that the visitors, it鈥檚 the second day now, but we have had a lot of good discussions, quite a lot of good visitors, and have been meeting a lot of industry friends and also new contacts.
鈥淪o yes, it鈥檚 been a very positive experience so far. We are very happy with the booth layout, with the way that the whole organization worked out. And hopefully it pushes e-mobility out even further than it is now.鈥
Zeeshan Shahid, the marketing head of Jaecoo, said: 鈥淓V Auto Show is going great. I think it鈥檚 a very amazing initiative. It鈥檚 very important, actually, for the Saudi market to see all the brands together in one place, where people can see the (business-to-business and business-to-consumer booths), can combine here together under one roof and have such an amazing event.
鈥淚t was really amazing to see the participation from government officials as well, and along with that a lot of the big brands. Frankly speaking, I am very satisfied with this event and look forward to joining this event again next year.鈥
Regarding his interactions with visitors to the event, Shahid said: 鈥淚t was very good. In fact, I was not expecting the visitors to be this much, and so overwhelming.
鈥淲e got a lot of bookings as well. People were interested, they wanted to sign up and they wanted to see how soon they can purchase the car. So it was not just a platform or a place where we just showcased our car, it was a good (return on investment) as well.鈥
Waheed Khairy, the chief strategy officer of EV-charging joint venture Smart Mobility, and chief operating officer of Saudi startup Turning Point Energy, told Arab News: 鈥淭his is the fourth time that we are participating (at the show). We grew up with this expo when it started in 2022. We were quite small and we were a startup.
鈥淏ut then as the years went by, we became market leaders. So here we are today, the platinum sponsors of this expo. And, yeah, it鈥檚 been good and it鈥檚 been groundbreaking.鈥
Smart Mobility, a joint venture between Foxconn Interconnect Technology and 黑料社区鈥檚 Saleh Suleiman Alrajhi and Sons, unveiled its self-developed Charging Point Management System at the show.
鈥淔or us, (the show) was very beneficial to build contacts, to meet other players in the industry. We are mainly (business-to-business) and we build relations throughout this expo,鈥 Khairy added.
There are other major forums and trade shows in Riyadh, he said, but 鈥渢he EV Auto Show turned out to be well-attended and well-organized, it鈥檚 well-planned. It鈥檚 a good opportunity for stakeholders and players in the market to meet and do networking.鈥
Organizers say the event gives industry executives, government officials and technical specialists a chance to discuss and share insights with stakeholders across the EV value chain, from manufacturers and importers to fleet operators, charging-network developers, and financial institutions.
