RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s electric vehicle industry is poised for substantial advancements in the coming years, according to officials during a panel discussion at the EV Auto Show. Held in Riyadh on Sept. 18, the panel titled “The Landscape of Electric Charging in Saudi Arabia” featured Ali Ghnaim, CEO of Gasable, who shared encouraging insights about the local community’s embrace of the Kingdom’s transition to EVs. “We find that the willingness to have an electric vehicle in Saudi Arabia at around 60 percent. Following our audience, and this is a very great percentage,” he noted. During the same discussion, Mohammed Al-Musawa, head of ASX E-Mobility, emphasized the importance of collaboration among companies and dealerships. He stated: “The goal of this market is the dealership and then we complement the dealership with the charging infrastructure. So, everyone here plays a very vital role in just providing the facility or facilitating the infrastructure to the dealerships itself, to the end users, giving them the assurance that we will be there. We will give you the choices.” Al-Musawa highlighted the Saudi government’s proactive stance on the future of EVs, saying, “From what I’ve seen, the push for the government, the money that is already on the table. We know that there will be a future for the EVs. So, dealerships here are trying to raise awareness, trying to set up the facilities. (The government is) trying to set up the infrastructure for the charging stations.” Rohit Ramesh, manager at CITA EV and a panelist, spotlighted two of the Kingdom’s giga-projects, NEOM and The Red Sea, which are crucial to the EV sector. “So, the newer infrastructures, the new constructions that we are expecting from NEOM and Red Sea, all these sites already have these EV charger infrastructures in the development phase itself,” he said. Saudi Arabia has already supported EV companies through its giga-project initiatives. In 2023, The Red Sea developed the largest off-grid EV charging network in the Kingdom, installing over 150 terminals to power 80 guest transport vehicles. NEOM’s commitment to zero-carbon goals includes implementing shared autonomous and electric shuttles, which will enhance urban passenger mobility and feature a high-speed underground transit system. The panel concluded with optimistic forecasts for the EV sector"s future in Saudi Arabia. Ramesh remarked: “By 2030, the vision of Saudi Arabia would be seeing several charging stations across (the country), and it will be more seamless to travel within the region, and more electric vehicles will be coming into the market as well.”