Riyadh | BETH

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef held a bilateral meeting today with Wang Chuanfu, Founder and Chairman of China’s BYD, to discuss opportunities for automotive manufacturing and the transfer of advanced technologies to Saudi Arabia, in the presence of Saleh Al-Sallami, CEO of the National Industrial Development Center.

The meeting focused on strengthening industrial cooperation and exploring investment opportunities to localize the automotive sector, particularly in electric vehicles, to meet growing domestic demand and position Saudi Arabia as a leading regional and global hub for vehicle manufacturing.

The two sides reviewed the investment incentives and enablers available for high-value industries, as well as the Kingdom’s major investments in electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. The discussions also highlighted the objectives of the Comprehensive Mining and Minerals Strategy, which supports the development of local supply chains for batteries and advanced materials, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s ambition to localize EV production in line with Vision 2030 economic diversification goals.

The meeting took place ahead of the fifth edition of the International Mining Conference, hosted in Riyadh from January 13 to 15, 2026.