Qatar’s first electric vehicle factory aims to start production in 2028, following a deal between the local JTA International Investment Holding and British startup Watt Electric Vehicle Company. The agreement will see passenger cars and delivery vans tailored to hot climates made in Qatar, Autocar reported, with an initial run of about 5,000 vehicles a year.
The Gulf is buying its way into the EV industry at varying scales. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund owns a majority stake in Lucid, which has an assembly plant near Jeddah, and has also invested in Ceer, which is due to start production later this year. The UAE is currently the largest Gulf market for EV sales, but governments across the region are hoping to increase the proportion of EVs on their roads.