http://www.arabianbusiness.com/590559-king-abdullah-launches-first-saudi-made-carSaudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has unveiled the first ever car to be entirely produced and built in the kingdom, local media reports on Tuesday.
The SUV, called Ghazal 1, was built by engineers at King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh and is designed specifically for the Gulf climate.
Ghazal 1, named after a desert deer, was developed over the last two years in collaboration with several major companies, like Motorola, Mercedes and Magna Canada, Arab News reports.
by Elsa Baxter on Tuesday, 15 June 2010
FIRST CAR: The Ghazal 1 has been designed specifically for the Gulf climate.
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has unveiled the first ever car to be entirely produced and built in the kingdom, local media reports on Tuesday.
The SUV, called Ghazal 1, was built by engineers at King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh and is designed specifically for the Gulf climate.
Ghazal 1, named after a desert deer, was developed over the last two years in collaboration with several major companies, like Motorola, Mercedes and Magna Canada, Arab News reports.
Related: Toyota, BMW top UAE, Saudi car brands survey
Related: $1.6m supercar launched in Saudi
Story continues below ?
advertisement
"This car is designed for use on all roads and terrain, even in difficult conditions, while the car interior is designed to provide comfort for passengers," Professor Said Darwish of KSU's industrial engineering department, told the paper.
Saudi has aspirations of launching an automotive manufacturing sector as officials look to diversify the economy away from its traditional oil reliance.
Darwish told the paper there are plans to produce 20,000 of the cars annually.
