How archaeological discoveries in AlUla and Khaybar are unearthing Saudi Arabia’s prehistoric past

A Neolithic mustatil next to a Bronze Age pendant burial in Kaybar. (Supplied/Mat Dalton)
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Updated 19 August 2022
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How archaeological discoveries in AlUla and Khaybar are unearthing Saudi Arabia’s prehistoric past

  • Thousands of structures, most between 4,000-7,000 years old, have been found in the Kingdom’s northwest
  • The discoveries are the key to a radical rethinking of the prehistory of the Arabian Peninsula

LONDON: To the bedouin, the mysterious structures of uncertain age and unknown origin scattered across the harsh and dramatic landscapes of northwestern Saudi Arabia have always been simply the works of “the old men.”

To the archaeologists who have just completed a four-year project to catalogue all the visible archaeology of AlUla County and the nearby Harrat Khaybar volcanic field, the tens of thousands of structures they have found, most between 4,000 and 7,000 years old, are the key to a radical rethinking of the prehistory of the Arabian Peninsula.

“A lot of the archaeological focus in the region in the past has been on the Fertile Crescent, running through Jordan, Israel and up into Syria and beyond, and little archaeological attention has been paid to this early material of Saudi Arabia,” said archaeologist Dr. Hugh Thomas, a senior research fellow at the University of Western Australia.

“But as we do more and more research, we’re realizing that there was so much more here than small, independent, communities living on nothing much and not doing much in an arid area.

“The reality in that in the Neolithic period these areas were significantly greener, and there would have been really sizeable populations of people and herds of animals moving across these landscapes.”

In the near future, he believes, “I think we are going to make massive discoveries that are going to change how we view the Middle East completely.”

Dr. Thomas is co-director of the Aerial Archaeology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia project, set up in 2018 by the Royal Commission for AlUla, as part of the Identification and Documentation of the Immovable Heritage Assets of AlUla program. The following year the project was expanded to include the neighboring, heritage-rich region of Khaybar.

A “core” area of AlUla of 3,300 sq. m was surveyed separately by UK-based Oxford Archaeology. Working with staff and students of King Saud University in Riyadh, they identified more than 16,000 archaeological sites.

Setting out initially to survey the AlUla hinterland, an area of more than 22,500 square kilometers, Dr. Thomas and his colleagues faced a daunting task, which they broke down into three stages.

A remote preliminary survey of the entire area, using satellite imagery, was followed by aerial photography of selected sites and, finally, excavation of a small number of the most promising structures.

The first stage lasted more than a year, with team members poring painstakingly over Google Earth and other satellite imagery and pinning every structure they spotted.

For the University of Western Australia team back in Perth, it meant “hour after hour of patiently scrolling through,” Dr. Thomas said.

“Sometimes it was in areas where there was absolutely nothing, just endless kilometers of remote desert. But then at other times you’d find structures all over the place, and you would get through only a few kilometers in a session, because you were constantly finding and pinning new archaeological sites.”

The hard work paid off handsomely.

By the end, they had identified 13,000 sites in AlUla and an extraordinary 130,000 in Khaybar county, dating from the Stone Age to the 20th century. They logged everything they saw, including some of the remains of the Hejaz railway, built by the Ottomans before World War I, but the vast majority of the sites dated from prehistory.

Each site consisted of anything from one structure to clusters of 30 or more, and they have now catalogued more than 150,000 individual structures of archaeological interest, especially in the Khaybar region, where there is “a really dense, significant concentration of archaeological remains.”

After the remote sensing came the really fun part — flying low over the spectacular landscapes of AlUla and Khaybar in helicopters, using open-door photography to record sites previously identified by the satellite survey as being of particular interest.

The pilots, from the Saudi-based The Helicopter Company, flew from site to site along flight paths created by the archaeologists.




Archaeological discoveries in AlUla and Khaybar are the key to unlocking the secrets of prehistoric Saudi Arabia. (Moath Alofi)

“They were commercial pilots who at first had no idea about the archaeology,” Dr. Thomas said. “But they were very keen, and also pretty good at interpreting and spotting things.

“They ended up having a really great understanding, and that was so beneficial to the project. I could say, ‘I’m after three funerary pendants up on an outcrop’, and the pilot would say, ‘Oh, I can see them, in front of us,’ and they’d steer the helicopter round to give you the best photographic angle.”

By the end, he said, “some of the pilots would have seen more archaeology up close than the majority of archaeologists.”

The last aerial photography was carried out in March this year and, by then, the team had captured more than a quarter of a million images across AlUla and Khaybar.

Among the structures they photographed were more than 350 examples of one of the most extraordinary types of large-scale structures scattered across Saudi Arabia’s prehistoric landscape — the mysterious mustatil.

Mustatil is the Arabic word for rectangle, and these often huge, rectangular structures, built by an unknown people more than 8,000 years ago, may be unique to the Arabian peninsula.

More than 1,600 are now known to exist across 300,000 sq. km of northwestern Saudi Arabia, concentrated mainly in the vicinity of AlUla and Khaybar.

Mustatils vary in type — some are more complex than others — but usually they consist of two parallel walls, or occasionally more, joined at either end by shorter walls to create a rectangle. They range in length from 20 to 620 meters and often they are clustered together, in groups numbering anything from two to 19.




Of the 1,600 mustatils identified via satellite imagery and the 350 photographed from the air, 39 were selected for ground survey by Thomas’ team. (Rebecca Repper)

In some places, mustatils have been “overbuilt” by subsequent generations who have constructed circular ringed tombs, or so-called pendant tombs, on or very near them.

Building some of the mustatils would have been a big commitment for a considerable number of people. The largest structure ground-surveyed by the AAKSA team, situated on the Harrat Khaybar lava field 50 km south of Khaybar town, was built from basalt boulders and measures 525m in length.

It is estimated that the structure weighs about 12,000 tons, with individual stones weighing between 6 and 500 kg.

Extrapolating from experimental studies carried out on Mayan structures in Guatemala, the archaeologists have estimated that it would have taken a group of 10 people two or three weeks to build a mustatil more than 150m long. Larger structures, up to 500m, could have been constructed by a group of 50 people in about two months.

As Dr. Thomas and his colleagues wrote in a paper published recently in the journal “Antiquity,” not only are mustatils “an important component of the ancient Arabian cultural landscape,” they are also among the earliest stone monuments in Arabia, and “globally one of the oldest monumental building traditions yet identified.”

Of the 1,600 mustatils identified via satellite imagery and the 350 photographed from the air, 39 were selected for ground survey by Thomas’ team. Of these, just a handful were excavated, and these have revealed a wealth of previously unknown information.

In late 2018 and 2019, for example, archaeologists from both the UWA and Oxford teams began excavating undisturbed mustatils east of AlUla valley, and discovered evidence that the structures had served a ritual purpose. Collections of horns and other cranial bone fragments, from animals including cattle, goat and gazelle, were found in chambers in the structures, which could suggest offerings had been made to some long-forgotten deity.

“These are ritual structures, I’d bet my house on it,” Dr. Thomas said.

“We have now excavated five of them, the Oxford Archaeology team has excavated three, and other teams are excavating others too. With the artefacts that are inside, and also the construction techniques that are involved in creating them, there is no practical function for these structures, other than ritual, that would make any sense.”




In addition to Mustatils, there are an estimated 917 kites around Khaybar built in varying shapes and sizes and some dating back to between the fifth and seventh centuries B.C. (Moath Alofi)

There is no roofing, the walls are too low for them to have been used for keeping animals in them, and some of them are built on the slopes of mountains that are incredibly steep and difficult to walk up.

Organic remains can be carbon-dated, and the animal bones revealed that the site was late Neolithic – about 7,000 years old. In the past season, however, in a collaboration with the archaeology department at Durham University in the UK, the team has been employing another sophisticated dating technique called Optically Stimulated Luminescence.

This, Dr. Thomas said, “basically allows you to date the last time that sand had light fall directly upon it, which is a really useful technique for dating structures that don’t have any kind of organic deposits within them.”

So far, nothing has been unearthed to suggest why the mustatils were built where they were.

“In some of the locations where we find them we just can’t understand why they were built there,” Dr. Thomas said.

“They might be in a random valley with seemingly not much happening around them. It suggests that people are coming to that spot, creating them, then moving on and probably coming back periodically.”

That, of course, poses the question: what was so special about these sites to these people?

Another, possibly connected, mystery is that the mustatils and even the later Bronze Age burial structures in the region were clearly built to be appreciated not from ground level, but from up above, in the sky.

“What’s fascinating is when you see them from the ground, they’re not that spectacular, just a series of walls,” Dr. Thomas said.

“But as soon as you get in a helicopter, or you look at it on satellite imagery, these things just come to life.”

One theory is that the structures might have been built to be viewed from above by the dead. Another possibility is that they were ritual structures constructed for the benefit of some deity in the sky.

But, as the structures were built long before human beings developed writing, the truth is likely to remain a mystery.

Equally mysterious is where the people came from who built the mustatils — and where they ended up. As yet, no Neolithic burial sites from the same period have been found.




Archaeologist Don Boyer measures a tower of stones next to a 525m long Mustatil in Khaybar. (David Kennedy)

“The hope is that, in the future, we might identify some Neolithic burials,” Dr. Thomas said. “But the reality now is that we’re not sure where the people of the Neolithic are.”

They could have been buried in unmarked graves at random sites, which would make it very hard to find any of them.

“Alternatively, there may be other things that they did to their bodies, which means that we will never find them.”

However, a series of finds in some mustatils has hinted at a perhaps macabre practice in about the mid-fifth millennium BC. Some human remains have been found — but only fragments.

“In one, we found part of a foot and five vertebrae and a couple of long bones. We can tell that while there was still soft tissue attached and holding the bones together, fragments of that body were taken and placed within this mustatil, or next to it.”

There are, however, multiple burial sites in the region — and sometimes close to mustatils — from the Bronze Age, dating from about 2,500 years later. 

“There are thousands upon thousands of tombs, pendant burials and larger monumental tombs in the region, indicating that there were large, thriving populations here,” Dr. Thomas said.

The most dramatic examples are located in Khaybar county, to the southeast of AlUla.

“Projecting out of Bronze Age oases are these long pathways, funerary avenues, flanked by thousands of tombs, creating a really significant funerary landscape.”

The next objective for the team is “to focus on this shifting idea of monumentality. In the Neolithic period, for whatever reason, something occurred that meant that people started creating these absolutely massive ritual structures, over a 300 to 500-year period.

“Then it stopped. Archaeologically, from about 4,800 down to about 2600 BC, we find very little — some domestic structures, but not many graves.




In addition to the mustatils, the site has kites whose geometric shapes may be connected or unconnected to each other. They may be part of a building or separate, or stone piles. (Duhim Alduhim)

“Then suddenly these monumental burials start appearing across the landscape. Why this shift from the mustatil, monumental ritual structures, to the focus 2,000 years later on the individual, or family groups, that were being buried in these structures?

“What happened in those few thousand years?”

Whatever the answer, the vast number of mustatils identified — about 1,600 in an area roughly the size of Poland — not only puts Saudi Arabia’s ancient past in a Neolithic class of its own, but has global repercussions.

“When we look at Neolithic landscapes across the world, often you’re only finding a handful of structures, less than a dozen,” Dr. Thomas said.

“So to have something like the mustatil, where you’ve got well over 1,000, covering such a significant area, really changes how we have to view the Neolithic.

“It indicates that the Neolithic is much more complex than we originally thought.

“And, as more research comes out about the mustatil, I think that will completely revolutionize how we view Neolithic societies, not just in Arabia but across the rest of the world.”

There will be 12 archaeological teams at work in the field this autumn, exploring the past cultures of AlUla and Khaybar from prehistory to the early 20th century. Stone structures of the late prehistoric period will remain a key focus.

 


Crown prince launches Saudi Architecture Characters Map to celebrate architectural heritage

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (File/SPA)
Updated 17 March 2025
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Crown prince launches Saudi Architecture Characters Map to celebrate architectural heritage

  • Saudi Architecture aims to enrich the urban architectural diversity of the Kingdom, elevate urban landscape in cities and empower local talent

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has officially launched the Saudi Architecture Characters Map, featuring 19 distinct architectural styles inspired by the Kingdom’s diverse geographical and cultural characteristics.

The map highlights Saudi Arabia’s commitment to celebrating the Kingdom’s architectural heritage, enhancing quality of life and modernizing the urban landscape in Saudi cities as part of Vision 2030, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

The crown prince emphasized that Saudi Architecture would reflect the cultural and geographical diversity of the Kingdom.

He further highlighted the importance of sustainable urban planning that harmonized with the local environment and integrates traditional architectural elements into modern designs.

“Saudi Architecture blends our rich heritage with contemporary design thinking. We are enhancing urban landscapes and quality of life as well as building an architectural framework that balances the past and the present. This model will serve as a global source of inspiration for innovation in architectural design,” the crown prince said.

Prince Mohammed continued: “Saudi Architecture will indirectly contribute to economic growth by making our cities more attractive to visitors and tourists, which will stimulate sectors such as tourism, hospitality and construction. It also envisions a future where our cities and communities thrive.”

Saudi Architecture aims to enrich the urban architectural diversity of the Kingdom, elevate urban landscape in cities and empower local talent.

By 2030, it is expected to contribute over SR8 billion ($2.13 billion) to the Kingdom’s cumulative gross domestic product and create more than 34,000 direct and indirect job opportunities across the engineering, construction, and urban development sectors.

Saudi Architecture provides developers with guidelines that allow for modern building materials without imposing additional financial burdens. Each of the 19 architectural styles offers three design typographies: traditional, transitional, and contemporary – encouraging creative expression while preserving the authenticity of local architecture.

The implementation of Saudi Architecture will unfold in a phased manner. The first phase will focus on Al-Ahsa, Taif, Makkah, and Abha, where initial applications will target major projects, government buildings, and commercial structures.

The Saudi Architecture Characters Map highlights 19 architectural styles inspired by geographical, natural and cultural characteristics, derived from urban and historical studies of building traditions passed down through generations.

These styles include Central Najdi, Northern Najdi, Tabuk Coast, Madinah Rural, Inner Madinah, Hejazi Coast, Taif Highlands, Sarawat Mountains, Aseer Escarpment, Tuhama Foothills, Tuhama Coast, Farasan Islands, Abha Highlands, Bisha Desert, Najran, Al-Ahsa Oasis, Al-Qatif Oasis, East Coast, and Eastern Najdi.

Efforts to implement Saudi Architecture are driven by partnerships across government agencies, engineering firms and real estate developers.

Architectural design studios will support engineers and designers through engineering guidelines, training workshops, and skill development programs to ensure the highest standards of sustainability and quality.


Jeddah fitness buffs break sweat before and after iftar

Updated 16 March 2025
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Jeddah fitness buffs break sweat before and after iftar

  • Fasting residents are staying committed to their fitness regimes during holy month

JEDDAH: Ramadan provides a tough test for many, with iftar spreads of sugary, calorie-packed, and fried food being quite a temptation — but fitness enthusiasts in Jeddah are not letting that slow them down.

Many fasting residents are staying committed to their fitness regimes, hitting the gyms and cycling, jogging, paddling, running, boxing, and tackling other high-energy activities to keep their health on track during the holy month.

Fitting in a workout before iftar has become a popular trend this Ramadan among men and women, with many taking to the open spaces to reap its health benefits.

Fitting in a workout before iftar has become a popular trend this Ramadan among men and women, with many taking to the open spaces to reap its health benefits. (SPA)

Tariq Abdulmajeed, 42, who walks daily before iftar on the Tahlia pathway, told Arab News: “One of the effective ways to exercise in Ramadan is to walk before breaking the fast. It is the right period to obtain fitness.

“It really can improve physical and muscular capacity and enhance overall body fitness.”

Fitness expert Nasser Al-Saadi told Arab News that Ramadan was not the time to push your limits or set personal records, and added: “You should treat it as a time to maintain (your health). People should take it easy and not have hard workouts because that could affect their health.”

One of the effective ways to exercise in Ramadan is to walk before breaking the fast. It is the right period to obtain fitness.

Tariq Abdulmajeed, Jeddah resident

He explained that exercising before iftar can help burn fat, as the body relies on stored energy. But it may also lead to dehydration.

Al-Saadi recommends light exercises such as walking, stretching, or low-intensity activities, ideally 30 to 60 minutes before breaking the fast. He added: “Exercising after iftar is the ideal time because the body is replenished with nutrients and fluids.”

With more people training in the hours just before and after iftar, gyms across Jeddah are seeing more members attending during the holy month.

Fitting in a workout before iftar has become a popular trend this Ramadan among men and women, with many taking to the open spaces to reap its health benefits. (SPA)

Mahmoud Abdul Raziq, a coach at Ultimate Power Gym, told Arab News: “Many people intend to maintain their health during Ramadan but they should be committed all year long, not only for one month.”

He has been impressed by the discipline he has seen in his fasting clients, and added: “I think they are at full power and most of them seem very determined to make a change. They want to challenge themselves physically, mentally and spiritually and that’s the reason we have seen more members signing up.

“Group classes are scheduled two hours before and two hours after iftar, which has been advised as the best timeline for results geared towards losing fat and gaining muscle.”

Arab News caught up with a few people in the gym, and all of them had goals: losing excess body fat, maintaining muscle mass, and toning the body.

Most of them have their workout just before their fast ends. They get home just in time for iftar or end their fast in the gym with a single date and water.

Rayan Abu Hamza, 34, said his fitness goal was to maintain muscle mass and tone his body, and added: “Since the beginning of Ramadan I have been coming to the gym before iftar because it is much better than coming at night when the gym gets crowded and most of the exercising machines are busy.”

When asked if it was better to exercise before or after iftar, Saad Al-Zahrani said: “For me it is before iftar. I don’t feel lazy and it gives me more strength.”

Another member, Tawfiq Hamawi, a Syrian expat, said he preferred later in the day, adding: “Due to my working hours, it is impossible to come before iftar. This would be ideally two hours after eating because it allows the body to replenish nutrients and fluids before physical exertion.”

Whether it is walking outdoors, joining group classes, or hitting the gym alone, residents in Jeddah are finding ways to balance health and tradition.

Ramadan is no excuse for these committed locals to pause their fitness journey, but a period to adapt and push forward.

 


Rawalpindi’s century-old mosque offers spiritual sanctuary during holy month

Rawalpindi’s Markazi Jamia Masjid offers visitors a chance to connect with the city’s past. (AN photos)
Updated 16 March 2025
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Rawalpindi’s century-old mosque offers spiritual sanctuary during holy month

  • Markazi Jamia Masjid blends history, architecture and faith
  • Surrounded by busy markets, the mosque is an architectural marvel and a retreat for devotees
  • The foundations were laid in 1896 by Amanullah Khan, who later became king of Afghanistan

RAWALPINDI: Sheikh Sajid Mahmood, a Pakistani entrepreneur in his late 50s, basks in the winter sunshine after offering Dhuhr prayers at a mosque in the city of Rawalpindi. The tranquil appeal of the place of worship — a spiritual and cultural beacon — draws thousands like Mahmood, particularly during Ramadan.

Surrounded by busy markets and towering buildings, the Markazi Jamia Masjid, or central grand mosque, is an architectural marvel in Pakistan that not only offers a retreat to devotees, but also captivates visitors with its vibrant frescoes and intricate design, offering a glimpse into the rich religious and cultural heritage of Rawalpindi.

Rawalpindi’s Markazi Jamia Masjid offers visitors a chance to connect with the city’s past. (AN photo)

The mosque’s foundations were laid in 1896 by Amanullah Khan, who later became the king of Afghanistan, alongside a prominent local religious figure, Peer Mehar Ali Shah of Golra Sharif in Islamabad. Since its completion, the mosque has been a central place of worship for Muslims in the city, whose numbers multiply in Ramadan.

“I am from the second generation (of devotees praying here). I am almost 60 years old now. (We) get a lot of spiritual satisfaction by praying here,” Mahmood told Arab News, explaining how the vastness of the space provides a sense of serenity.

FASTFACT

Surrounded by busy markets and towering buildings, the Markazi Jamia Masjid offers a glimpse into the rich religious and cultural heritage of Rawalpindi.

“Look at the sunlight, there are rows of prayer mats laid out in the courtyard. You can also get an idea from this; smaller mosques are confined on the sides.”

Worshippers offer prayers in the compound of the century-old Markazi Jamia Mosque in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on March 12, 2025, during Arab News’ Ramadan special coverage. (AN photo)

Mufti Muhammad Siddiq-ul-Hasnain Sialvi, who leads prayers at the mosque, shares a “deep connection” with the place.

“This mosque is the largest in the Rawalpindi division, accommodating up to 7,000 worshippers,” he said. “The arrangements for (late night) Taraweeh prayers during Ramadan are excellent, and we also have a grand arrangement for iftar. A large number of people perform itikaf (or seclusion in the last 10 days of Ramadan) here as well.”

Worshippers offer prayers in the compound of the century-old Markazi Jamia Mosque in Rawalpindi, Pakistan on March 12, 2025, during Arab News’ Ramadan special coverage. (AN photo)

The Markazi Jamia Masjid’s architectural beauty blends elements of Mughal architecture with local designs. The main prayer hall, dominated by three domes and several minarets, reflects the grandeur of traditional Mughal architecture, featuring arches and intricate floral motifs. Local adaptations imbue the mosque with a unique identity that speaks of Rawalpindi’s heritage.

The interior walls are adorned with hand-painted frescoes, some of which have been meticulously restored over the years. The frescoes, with their detailed floral patterns and geometric symmetry, evoke the splendor of Mughal craftsmanship. Although some of the vibrant blues, reds and yellows have faded with time, they retain their beauty, telling the story of an era long past.

The mosque’s spacious courtyard is the heart of the complex, where worshippers gather before entering the prayer hall. During Ramadan, the worship place comes alive, especially during iftar and Taraweeh as the open space allows for a comfortable congregation, offering a welcoming environment for all.

“There is more rush here in Ramadan, the open courtyard makes it comfortable for people,” said Waqas Iqbal, a jeweler who regularly visits the mosque. “You don’t feel cramped, whether it’s summer or winter.”

But for Mahmood, the mosque is a sanctuary of peace.

“The open courtyard and the peaceful surroundings make it a special place to pray,” he said, explaining how the vastness of the space provides a sense of serenity that “smaller mosques often lack.”

More than just a place of worship, Rawalpindi’s Markazi Jamia Masjid offers visitors a chance to connect with the city’s past. Its management, which falls under the Punjab Auqaf and Religious Affairs Department, ensures the mosque undergoes maintenance every 10 to 15 years, so that it stays in pristine condition for future generations.

“Many prominent personalities have offered prayers in this grand mosque and the imam of Haram Sharif (Grand Mosque in Makkah) has visited and led prayers here,” said Sialvi, who added that all these factors make it a special place for the residents of the neighborhood and an honor for Rawalpindi.

 


Frankly Speaking: Assessing Lucid and the Kingdom’s EV ambitions

Updated 17 March 2025
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Frankly Speaking: Assessing Lucid and the Kingdom’s EV ambitions

  • Faisal Sultan, VP and MD (Middle East) of Lucid Motors, is confident about the US-headquartered electric vehicle maker’s trajectory and its presence in Saudi Arabia
  • Considers Saudi electric transportation goals attainable thanks to steady public adoption of EV and strong government policy support

RIYADH: Faisal Sultan, vice president and managing director of Lucid Middle East, is confident about the company’s trajectory and its growing presence in Saudi Arabia — a nation eager to establish itself as a key player in the global electric vehicle (EV) market.

Lucid Motors has had a transformative year despite a leadership change following Peter Rawlinson’s departure as CEO after 12 years in the post. Appearing on the Arab News current affairs program “Frankly Speaking,” Sultan said the firm has been left on a strong footing.

“What Lucid is today is because of him,” Sultan told “Frankly Speaking” host Katie Jensen. “The company is in a growth stage and therefore Peter decided to hand it over to the team that he has established to take it forward.”

Lucid, a pioneering EV manufacturer headquartered in the US, has set ambitious goals for its expansion in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia.

Backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which holds a significant stake in the company, Lucid is spearheading the development of the Kingdom’s first EV manufacturing facility.

The firm’s assembly plant in Jeddah’s King Abdullah Economic City, which opened in September 2023, is already operational. Construction is underway for a full-scale factory, expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

“I’m very proud of the team, what we’ve been able to accomplish in Saudi Arabia — the first-ever international automotive manufacturing plant in the Kingdom,” said Sultan.

“We are definitely going to move and expand on that. We’re building a complete build unit factory now after the semi-knocked-down assembly factory, and that is currently under construction. It’s on time and it’s going to be completed, as previously stated, by the end of next year.

“It will have a capacity of 150,000 and we’ll start producing some cars in early 2027 from there for global consumption.”

Faisal Sultan, vice president and managing director (Middle East) of Lucid Group, spoke to ‘Frankly Speaking’ host Katie Jensen on a wide range of topics related to sustainable mobility. (AN Photo)

Lucid Motors has joined the “Made in Saudi” program, becoming the first global automotive company to do so, allowing it to use the 'Saudi Made' logo on its products, signifying quality and national pride, and reflecting the Kingdom’s commitment to becoming a leader in innovative manufacturing.

“The ‘Made in Saudi’ badge is a very prestigious thing,” said Sultan. “And it’s a really emotional thing for our teammates out of Saudi Arabia because they feel very proud to be a part of history and to be the first automotive manufacturer that can say that we have a Saudi-made vehicle, which is now being exported to other countries.

“Even the public has perceived it as a medal.”

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy places great emphasis on sustainability and clean energy, with the aim of electrifying 30 percent of vehicles on its roads by the end of the decade.

Sultan believes this goal is attainable, given the steady increase in EV adoption and the government’s strong policy support.

“Our estimates are, basically, about 6 to 7 percent of vehicles that are being sold in the country are already electric vehicles,” he said.

“But I think that’s going to grow to 30 percent because of initiatives like the Saudi Green Initiative that really puts in the drive, the motivation, the policies, all of them coming together.”

More can be done, however, to boost the uptake of EVs.

“One of the biggest challenges when you talk about EV adoption is the infrastructure,” said Sultan. “And if the infrastructure is not there, it’s not going to happen. So we’re working with many companies, many partnerships that Lucid has. We’re working with the government entities to make sure that the chargers are there.”

Lucid’s vehicles are often compared to other luxury EVs, particularly Elon Musk’s Tesla range. However, Sultan is keen to clarify that Lucid is operating in a different league.

Lucid, a pioneering EV manufacturer headquartered in the US, has set ambitious goals for its expansion in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia. (Supplied)

“We don’t really consider Tesla as our main competitor,” he said. “Because if you look at a Lucid’s interior, and you look at the offerings that we have, how luxurious the car is, Tesla doesn’t produce a car like that.

“They do have a technological electric vehicle but that is really not the segment. Now people do take that misconception and try to compare it. But it’s an upgrade for a Model S person to come into a Lucid Air. They’re upgrading.”

Sultan says he is not concerned about Tesla entering the Saudi market, pointing to the healthy competition that already exists between other EV brands.

“There’s the Chinese brand BYD. More competition is better because it gives the consumer the difference. And I think we need to just continue to have our powertrain capabilities that are much higher. For example, our motors give you per kilogram more horsepower.”

Saudi Arabia is also launching its first ever domestic EV brand, Ceer, raising further questions about potential competition for Lucid within the Kingdom. However, Sultan sees Ceer as a complementary force rather than a rival.

“Saudi Arabia has been trying to do this for a while,” he said. “Lucid gave it the opportunity to ignite that spark. And now that we’ve done so, we have Ceer, our sister electric vehicle company that is now owned by Saudi Arabia itself, its first national brand. And we have Hyundai, which has also signed a deal with them.

“The three companies — the two companies EV, one company mixed — I think that will give them 500,000 production units by 2030, around that time frame, and a capacity at least. And I think that will get the supply chain coming in, it will get the whole ecosystem developed and then from there on they can build on it.”

There are, however, several barriers to the wider adoption of EVs in Saudi Arabia, including the hefty price tag attached to many vehicles currently on the market, the limited number of charging stations, and the lag in changing public attitudes.

“A lot of it is actually just the change itself, because a lot of people are really worried,” said Sultan. “They’re used to doing things a certain way. You have a car, you go to the gas station, you fill your gas anywhere. For them, it is an adopted way of living. And I think that’s one of the things, we have to inform the consumer how easy it is.”

Sultan stresses that home charging solutions will be key in easing the transition to EVs.

“I think the focus should be at-home charging and it should not be on public charging. If people are thinking that they’re going to be charging all the time on public charging, I think that’s really the wrong way to think about charging. It should be on your home base.”

Lucid, a pioneering EV manufacturer headquartered in the US, has set ambitious goals for its expansion in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia as Sultan explained to Jensen. (AN Photo)

Another lag on the expansion of the EV industry as a whole is the availability of the rare earth minerals needed to make batteries. Although Lucid already has a reliable supply chain for its batteries, Saudi Arabia’s mineral riches — particularly lithium — have not escaped its notice.

“Our suppliers really need those materials,” said Sultan. “We typically don’t buy them directly in raw form. But yes, we’re keeping an eye on that and we’re very lucky because Saudi Arabia is also, under Vision 2030, looking at the mining and minerals sector.”

The company is also open to the idea of sourcing its EV batteries from a Saudi partner in future, but Sultan expects such collaborations to involve established global players.

“We’re open to all these partnerships,” he said. “Currently we buy from LG Chem, Samsung, and Panasonic. Samsung and Panasonic are the two biggest suppliers for our batteries right now.”

Lucid is also working on battery recycling solutions, with discussions underway to establish a recycling facility in Saudi Arabia.

“Some studies have shown that 95 percent of these batteries now can be recycled,” he said. “The cost to recycle needs to come down, and it is (coming down). If you go back five, six years ago, it was a tremendous effort to get these things recycled. But we are getting a lot of development happening, a lot more companies jumping into this.”

Looking ahead to the future, Lucid has seen strong demand for its vehicles in the Gulf Cooperation Council area and intends to expand its presence across these key markets.

“The current focus is really within the GCC area,” said Sultan. “That’s where we want to focus on because the market for a luxury four-door sedan and a luxury full-size SUV is the strongest in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar.”

He added: “In Saudi Arabia, Riyadh is our biggest market. And we want to have a couple more locations in Riyadh. In the Eastern Province, in the Dammam, Al-Khobar area, we don’t have a presence. We’re definitely going to have a presence there.”

With Saudi Arabia’s growing commitment to the EV sector, Lucid Motors appears well-positioned to play a central role in shaping the Kingdom’s automotive future. And with state investment and environmental policies taking priority, public uptake of EVs is expected to boom.

 


Jeddah governor receives consul general of Chad

Updated 16 March 2025
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Jeddah governor receives consul general of Chad

  • They held cordial talks and discussed topics of common interest

JEDDAH: Jeddah Gov. Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi received Consul General of Chad in Jeddah Mohammed Salahuddin on Sunday.

During the meeting, they held cordial talks and discussed topics of common interest, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Meanwhile, Vice President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed recently attended the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa elections in Algeria.

He reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to supporting initiatives that foster the growth of the Olympic movement and strengthen international sports cooperation.