Car maker Lucid this week unveiled its first retail store in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, situated in the city’s most popular and trafficked car mall, Auto Mall. The new store, officially called a studio rather than a showroom, is the company’s latest expansion into the Kingdom as the California-based giant looks to strengthen its base in the Saudi market.
The new studio is a 23,000-square-foot space aimed at displaying the Lucid Air and immersing customers into the EV world with an “integrated” shopping experience. The company is focusing heavily on integrating its physical experience with its online presence.
Aspects of the two mediums are merging. In an exclusive interview with Destination KSA before the new opening, Lucid’s COO, Marc Winterhoff, explained that physical stores and online experiences can co-exist, and how certain aspects of vehicle customization that can be done online and at a home are carried through into the in-person experience.
In the studio, customers can get a tangible feel for the different material and finish offerings for the seats, wheels, trims, and more. Faisal Sultan, the Vice President and Managing Director of the Middle East, said the new space offers “one convenient location in Jeddah where customers can purchase and experience the incredible design and performance of the Lucid Air.”
As Saudi Arabia focuses on expanding access to electric vehicles, our studios in Jeddah and Riyadh strengthen our commitment to this vision and will offer more customers access to the world’s most advanced electric vehicle.
Faisal Sultan, Lucid’s Vice President and Managing Director Middle East
Beyond sales, delivery, and customization services, the new studio also serves as a maintenance hub for the local Jeddah community. In the basement of the studio is a fully-fledged maintenance center that comes stocked with a full inventory of spare parts, and advanced diagnostic, and repair equipment — all of which is never actually meant to be seen by customers.
Instead, customers have the luxury of calling a specially equipped Lucid Air right to their home to diagnose and solve their car problems, on the spot. The special vehicle can be dispatched and requested right to a customer’s home or current location, where over 95% of a car’s problems can be fixed. In the rare case that an in-store repair is needed, customers will be given a temporary vehicle as they wait for the repairs.
For charging, Saudi customers can benefit from a SAR 3,750 (USD 1,000) allowance to install an approved home charging accessory in their homes. For more freebies, customers of the Lucid Air have free maintenance for two years or after 40,000 km, depending on which comes first.
Background on Lucid Motor
Lucid is originally a California-based technology company that’s looking to compete with bigger players in the EV market. The company’s expansion into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia started in 2018 when PiF (the Public Investment Fund) invested over $1 billion into the automotive company. A hallmark pillar of the initial investment was to help fuel plans to globally launch the Lucid Air.
The company is also investing heavily in local manufacturing of vehicles in Saudi Arabia. The company operates a facility in King Abdullah Economic City which features a semi-operating line that assembles certain parts of the vehicle. Under construction, is a complete assembly factory in the Kingdom to launch in-line with Vision 2030.
The Lucid Air, currently the only vehicle available to Saudi consumers, has been awarded the world’s most luxurious car of the year in 2023 and on paper, ranks as one of the most efficient in the EV space. The Lucid Air, depending on configuration, features a range of around 800km (500 miles) and it starts at SAR 346,725. For more details on the Lucid Air and its prices for Saudi consumers, see our other detailed coverage.
