The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reportedly imported 71,209 electric vehicle units since adopting the technology. Battery electrics (BEVs) and hybrids (HEVs) comprised the total number of imported models, according to Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA).
EV import data – YTD and FY 2022
The report indicated that Saudi Arabia’s EV imports had recorded 711 units this year to date (YTD). That number seems low compared to FY 2022’s record of 13,958 units.
Notably, the Kingdom’s YTD electric vehicle import was dominated by eight major foreign markets. These countries include the following:
| Countries | YTD Imports |
| US | 465 EVs |
| Germany | 97 EVs |
| Japan | 81 EVs |
| China | 49 EVs |
| Czech Republic | 8 EVs |
| Italy | 6 EVs |
| South Korea | 3 EVs |
| Spain | 2 EVs |
As for FY 2022’s EV import record, Japan reached the top with 8,547 units. Presented below are the rankings:
| Countries | 2022 Imports |
| Japan | 8,547 |
| US | 4,935 |
| China | 154 |
| South Korea | 126 |
| Taiwan | 110 |
| Germany | 27 |
| Italy | 21 |
| Spain | 14 |
| Thailand | 13 |
| France | 4 |
Necessary EV import procedures
Saudi Gazette outlined that the Kingdom requires “several procedures” before importing electric vehicles. For starters, suppliers must release an electronic “Saber” certificate. They must also present a certificate of conformity for electric vehicles via the SASO official website.
Apart from importing EVs, the Kingdom has also taken the necessary steps toward establishing domestic production. Ceer recently secured an industrial license from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (MIM) to produce its planned EV offerings for local customers.
With that, Ceer is set to become the company in Saudi Arabia to develop and produce EVs domestically. As EV-a2z previously reported, the automaker aims to erect its factory on a 1,000,000+ sqm site in Industrial Valley (IV) near King Abdullah Port.
See Also:
- India’s Pravaig Dynamics to develop an EV factory in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia launches its domestic auto industry by going electric
- Wehrlein’s Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 wins first of two Formula E-Prix in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia aims to produce 500,000 electric cars per year
- Lucid Group raises $1.5 billion from the Saudi public wealth fund and other investors
Saudi Arabia continues to implement relevant initiatives to advance its electric vehicle uptake. With the launch of the Ceer EV brand, its electrification efforts will undoubtedly reach new heights.
