KIZAD inks deal to establish Abu Dhabi’s first EV assembly facility
Within the first phase, the facility will have an annual capacity of between 5,000 to 10,000 units for SDK EVs
Abu Dhabi’s KIZAD has signed a lease agreement with NWTN to build an Electric Vehicle (EV) assembly facility, in a bid to serve the growing demand for sustainable transport. The signing ceremony took place within KIZAD and NWTN also used the opportunity to demonstrate its EV offerings.
Per the agreement, NWTN plans to initially operate a 25,000m2 manufacturing, research and development, vehicle testing and logistics facility that will be completed by KIZAD in Q4 2022. The facility will have an annual capacity of 5,000-10,000 units for the assembly of semi-knocked-down (SKD) Electric Vehicles. In phase two, NWTN plans to introduce several new EV models and expand its capacity to 50,000 units annually.
“AD Ports Group is committed to driving sustainable manufacturing, and this key strategic partnership in KIZAD will support our wise leadership’s vision to advance industrial competitiveness while protecting the environment,” said Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director & Group CEO, AD Ports Group.
In February, AD Ports Group partnered with Ghassan Aboud Group to launch Regional Food Hub – Abu Dhabi.
Founded in 2016, green mobility technology company NWTN has its headquarters in the UAE and aims to produce Smart Passenger Vehicles (SPV) that deploy AI technologies and personalised passenger experiences.
KIZAD, part of AD Ports Group’s Economic Cities & Free Zones, said the EV assembly facility will be the first of its kind in Abu Dhabi. The deal follows recent regulatory updates by the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) that seek to accelerate the development of EV infrastructure, as part of Abu Dhabi’s Low Emission Vehicle Strategy. The new production facility is also said to be aligned with the UAE Net-Zero by 2050 agenda, as it will strengthen industry expertise and increase the availability of low-emission vehicles in UAE.
Al Shamisi added, “Attracting electric vehicle manufacturers to Abu Dhabi will play a significant role in enabling the economic vision of Abu Dhabi and is aligned with the recently announced Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy. We are pleased to welcome NWTN into our ecosystem at AD Ports Group and to facilitate their contribution to a cleaner environment for communities and for future generations.”
In July 2022, Abu Dhabi launched a $2.72bn drive to expand manufacturing sector to over $46bn.
Alan Wu, Chairman & CEO, NWTN stated, “NWTN’s partnership with AD Ports Group’s KIZAD forms a cornerstone of our broader worldwide growth strategy by enabling us to efficiently service a wider range of consumers both in the Middle East and the wider Northern Africa and European markets. The strategic location, with direct access to regional and global markets and proximity to world-class manufacturing infrastructure in KIZAD will allow NWTN to enhance its operations long-term and increase our export potential. We look forward to bringing our mobility technology know-how to one of the smartest cities in the world.”
NWTN will benefit from proximity to AD Ports Group’s automobile business ecosystem, which includes existing and upcoming projects tailored to the automotive sector such as the region’s first lithium production facility by Lepidico, the Regional Auto Hub – Abu Dhabi and the Khalifa Port Auto Terminal, concluded KIZAD.
In August, AD Ports launched a logistics hub – KLP21 to expand its integrated logistics offering.
