JEDDAH: Saudi electric vehicle brand Ceer unveiled the designs of its first two models on Monday, marking a major milestone for the company as it moves toward launching its seven-vehicle portfolio.

The vehicles were revealed at Ceer’s manufacturing facility in King Abdullah Economic City, where the company brought together industry representatives and other stakeholders for the global unveiling in the presence of Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund.

James DeLuca, CEO of Ceer, told Arab News that the event marked the culmination of three years of work on the company’s first vehicles.

“Tonight, we united the industry, inspired the nation and amazed the world,” DeLuca said. “Tonight, was about revealing the design of the first two vehicles in our seven-vehicle portfolio. Three years in the making, we feel absolutely great tonight. We are excited, confident and ready.”

DeLuca also highlighted the involvement of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in pushing the team during the design process.

He added that the directives of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman focused from the outset on presenting distinct and innovative designs that set Saudi vehicles apart from products currently available in global markets, thereby reflecting the Kingdom’s identity and its ambitions within the industrial sector.

“I know I drove you hard on design, but if these themes are the results of me driving you hard, it is all worth it,” DeLuca quoted the Crown Prince as telling the Ceer team after seeing the designs.

The CEO of Ceer confirmed that the car bearing the "Made in Saudi Arabia" badge will soon reach customers everywhere.

Ceer is Saudi Arabia’s first homegrown electric vehicle brand, established by the Public Investment Fund in partnership with Foxconn.

The company is developing vehicles designed for the Saudi and wider regional markets, with production based at its facility in King Abdullah Economic City.

The unveiling represents the latest step in Ceer’s development as it prepares to move from vehicle design to production and market launch.

The company’s manufacturing complex in King Abdullah Economic City is being developed to support annual production of up to 170,000 vehicles, according to Ceer.

The company has said the project is expected to create about 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and contribute around SR30 billion ($8 billion) to the Kingdom’s GDP. These are company projections rather than results already achieved.

Ceer has also established partnerships with global automotive and technology companies, including BMW, Hyundai Transys and Rimac, as it works toward developing a local automotive supply chain and increasing local content.

The company has said it aims to reach 45 percent local content by 2034, while 80 percent of its direct workforce is targeted to be Saudi.

The launch comes as Saudi Arabia expands investment in electric mobility, advanced manufacturing and related industries under Vision 2030.