Cairo: Japan, South Korea and the US stood out among the main suppliers of cars to Saudi Arabia over the past two years, according to the Saudi news agency SPA. Car sales in Saudi Arabia last year reached around 730,000, of which 30 per cent were bought by women, according to market observers.
Car sales are expected to surge to 870,000 this year.
The Saudi car market is one of the world’s biggest. The kingdom accounts for more than half the car sales in the six nations of the GCC.
In 2018, the kingdom allowed women to drive for the first time in its history, ending a decades-old ban on female driving as part of massive changes in the country. The historic step has boosted the Saudi car market’s growth.
The Kingdom has since witnessed a vigorous drive to empower women by engaging them in public life and giving them leading positions in various fields. Demand for cars has increased, reversing a two-year slump and disruptions in supply chains due to the global pandemic restrictions. Car sales are expected to surge to 870,000 this year.
In September last, US electric vehicle maker Lucid Group opened its first international manufacturing plant in Jeddah.
