The electric vehicle (EV) company NWTN has partnered with UAE-based Sultan Investments to establish an EV SKD assembly base in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) to expand its global manufacturing network.

NWTN, a green mobility technology company founded in 2016, has relocated its global headquarter to UAE. Sultan Investments’ S Motors, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, will also partner with NWTN in the development of the plant and EV distribution. According to reports, once it becomes fully operational in 2024, around 430,000 EVs per year will be manufactured. 

According to a statement by NWTN, the local plant development plan includes two phases. Phase one is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year and will encompass plans to have an SKD facility which will consist of 24,000 square meters of manufacturing, testing, inventory, and storage space, with an annual capacity of 5,000-10,000 units. 

Phase two of the project is projected to be completed by the end of first quarter of 2024 and will cover an area of 100,000 square meters with a capacity of 50,000 units per year.

“NWTN is very excited about the partnership to build our local manufacturing plant with Sultan Investments, and we can bring technology know-how and create jobs in the UAE. The Middle East enables us to look confidently both East and West, providing a unique perspective towards the world automobile industry; it will be the start of NWTN’s worldwide expansion,” said Alan Wu, founder and chairman of NWTN. 

As one of the region’s leading nations in the EVs sector, the UAE has already converted 20% of its cars belonging to government agencies to EVs and aims to have 42,000 electric vehicles on its streets by 2030. The ongoing transition will grant NWTN an advantage in the UAE and the broader Middle East, as the company’s manufacturing base will enhance the connection between the EV company and the emerging markets.