https://arab.news/8wcy3
Riyadh: Lucid Group, majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has announced the opening of its second studio in the Kingdom, further expanding its presence.
This new studio in Jeddah follows the recent launch of Lucid’s Dubai studio, underscoring the company’s commitment to delivering an exceptional electric vehicle experience in the region.
Spanning 23,000 sq. ft., the integrated retail, delivery, and service center will offer comprehensive sales and maintenance support for Lucid’s award-winning Lucid Air, catering to local demand.
Saudi Arabia aims to convert 30 percent of Riyadh’s vehicles to electric by 2030 as part of its strategy to reduce the city’s emissions and support the nation’s carbon neutrality goal by 2060. Electric vehicles are central to this broader environmental initiative, addressing climate change and promoting sustainable development.
Lucid studios provide a digitally tailored experience, whether customers visit in person or online. These studios highlight the brand’s design and offer an in-depth look at the Lucid Air and other products, all of which are designed and engineered in California.
The Jeddah studio will offer extensive mechanical and electrical maintenance, with a full inventory of spare parts. It features advanced diagnostic tools and is staffed by skilled technicians trained by Lucid, ensuring efficient service with minimal disruption and detailed consultations on vehicle care.
Faisal Sultan, vice president and managing director of Lucid Middle East, emphasized that the company’s expansion in Jeddah and Riyadh reflects its commitment to expanding access to electric vehicles. He noted that the Jeddah studio, located within the Auto Mall, offers a significant attraction for automotive enthusiasts and is part of Lucid’s strategy to enhance its footprint in the Kingdom.
“We saw an opportunity to open our flagship studio in Jeddah” due to its modern facility and growing market, Sultan told Arab News. He said the studio is larger than their Riyadh location, reflecting strong sales performance in the Kingdom.
The executive said this new facility will support our growing customer base with both sales and service.
“We are outselling all our competitors. Therefore, we need a larger footprint. We have a very large service center also. So, the customer will have one location, one solution, where they can come and buy the car and then also later on bring it for the servicing,” Sultan said.
The studio will also feature Lucid’s mobile repair service vans, which can travel to customers’ homes or offices for repairs. Sultan highlighted that the studio provides an opportunity for customers to experience the vehicle firsthand, including examining materials and testing the car.
The studio will also educate customers on home charging solutions and the ease of maintaining a Lucid Air with an 840 km range.
Sultan mentioned that Lucid is monitoring its vehicles on the road and plans to expand its sales and service locations in Saudi cities. The company is committed to Saudization and has partnered with the Human Resources Development Fund to train Saudi talent, with $50 million allocated over the next decade for this purpose.
Talking to Arab News, Marc Winterhoff, chief operating officer at Lucid, discussed the strong demand for the company’s vehicles in the Arab world, particularly in Saudi Arabia.
“In fact, as you probably have seen, in the last two quarters we achieved record sales globally and particularly Saudi Arabia has contributed significantly to that success.”
Winterhoff emphasized the importance of the new Jeddah studio in enhancing brand awareness and establishing a stronger presence in Saudi Arabia.
“We only had one studio in Riyadh, so we were actually overdue with opening something here in Jeddah. We have a lot of customers already, and we needed to build not only a studio to further expand but also to service,” he said.
The COO also mentioned that Lucid recently opened its first studio in the UAE and is exploring further expansion within Saudi Arabia and other neighboring Middle Eastern countries. Additionally, Lucid’s AMP-2 manufacturing facility in King Abdullah Economic City is currently constructing a completely built-up assembly operation, complementing its existing semi knocked-down assembly operation.