Abu Dhabi Partners With Chinese EV Maker To Build Country's First Electric Vehicles Assembly Facility

Set for completion in Q4 2022, the facility can assemble 10,000 electric vehicles per year for the UAE and wider regional market

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 6 September 2022: KIZAD, part of AD Ports Group’s Economic Cities & Free Zones, today announced the signing of a lease agreement with NWTN to establish an Electric Vehicle (EV) assembly facility in Abu Dhabi to serve growing demand for sustainable transport options.

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.

A signing ceremony took place in KIZAD to mark the occasion and showcase NWTN’s innovative range of electronic vehicles.

Under the agreement, NWTN plans to initially operate a 25,000 m2 manufacturing, research and development, vehicle testing and logistics facility constructed by KIZAD with 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 Electric Vehicle models and expand capacity to 50,000 units annually.

Set to be the first assembly facility for Electric Vehicles in Abu Dhabi, the announcement follows recent regulatory updates by the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) that seek to accelerate the development of Electric Vehicle infrastructure as part of Abu Dhabi’s Low Emission Vehicle Strategy. The new production facility is also well aligned with UAE Net-Zero by 2050 agenda as it will strengthen industry expertise and increase the availability of low-emission vehicles in UAE.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director & Group CEO, AD Ports Group, said: “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.

“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.”

Alan Wu, Chairman & CEO, NWTN, said: “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.”

With its new facility in KIZAD, NWTN will benefit from proximity to AD Ports Group’s expansive 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 Ltd, the Regional Auto Hub – Abu Dhabi and the Khalifa Port Auto Terminal.