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RIYADH: From concept to real-world impact, exhibitors at the fourth annual EV Auto Show Riyadh aim to help shape ����ֱ��’s clean-mobility landscape.

The exhibition floor at the three-day event, which began on Monday, features electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles from established manufacturers and newcomers to the market.

The exhibitors include Chinese company BYD, the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles; Lucid Motors; Tesla; rental company Sixt; and other Chinese automotive brands including Chery, iCaur and Jaecoo.

These international players in the electric vehicle sector praised the event for providing a good platform for networking, and shared their views on the ways in which their brands support the Kingdom’s own vision for the future of sustainable mobility.

“This is a great opportunity to meet major global players in the EV sector, and visitors interested in our products,” Ruqaya Alalosi of Chinese manufacturer Rox Motors told Arab News.

One of the highlights of this year’s show is the Saudi debut of the Rox Adamas luxury all-terrain SUV, following its global unveiling in Abu Dhabi this month.

This year marks the second time fast-charging station maker Alpitronic Middle East has participated at the show.

It’s general manager, Stephan Malojer, told Arab News: “We have to say that the visitors, it’s the second day now, but we have had a lot of good discussions, quite a lot of good visitors, and have been meeting a lot of industry friends and also new contacts.

“So yes, it’s been a very positive experience so far. We are very happy with the booth layout, with the way that the whole organization worked out. And hopefully it pushes e-mobility out even further than it is now.”

Zeeshan Shahid, the marketing head of Jaecoo, said: “EV Auto Show is going great. I think it’s a very amazing initiative. It’s very important, actually, for the Saudi market to see all the brands together in one place, where people can see the (business-to-business and business-to-consumer booths), can combine here together under one roof and have such an amazing event.

“It was really amazing to see the participation from government officials as well, and along with that a lot of the big brands. Frankly speaking, I am very satisfied with this event and look forward to joining this event again next year.”

Regarding his interactions with visitors to the event, Shahid said: “It was very good. In fact, I was not expecting the visitors to be this much, and so overwhelming.

“We got a lot of bookings as well. People were interested, they wanted to sign up and they wanted to see how soon they can purchase the car. So it was not just a platform or a place where we just showcased our car, it was a good (return on investment) as well.”

Waheed Khairy, the chief strategy officer of EV-charging joint venture Smart Mobility, and chief operating officer of Saudi startup Turning Point Energy, told Arab News: “This is the fourth time that we are participating (at the show). We grew up with this expo when it started in 2022. We were quite small and we were a startup.

“But then as the years went by, we became market leaders. So here we are today, the platinum sponsors of this expo. And, yeah, it’s been good and it’s been groundbreaking.”

Smart Mobility, a joint venture between Foxconn Interconnect Technology and ����ֱ��’s Saleh Suleiman Alrajhi and Sons, unveiled its self-developed Charging Point Management System at the show.

“For us, (the show) was very beneficial to build contacts, to meet other players in the industry. We are mainly (business-to-business) and we build relations throughout this expo,” Khairy added.

There are other major forums and trade shows in Riyadh, he said, but “the EV Auto Show turned out to be well-attended and well-organized, it’s well-planned. It’s a good opportunity for stakeholders and players in the market to meet and do networking.”

Organizers say the event gives industry executives, government officials and technical specialists a chance to discuss and share insights with stakeholders across the EV value chain, from manufacturers and importers to fleet operators, charging-network developers, and financial institutions.

RIYADH: Public Investment Fund company Neo Space Group’s new digital mapping program offers almost real-time insights into environmental, infrastructure and urban planning developments, using satellite imagery without relying on foreign providers, the company’s CEO has said.

Abdulaziz Al-Farraj, the CEO at NSG Geospatial Services, told Arab News: “NSG is building sovereign geospatial and satellite capabilities that directly advance Vision 2030, pairing national platforms with global best-in-class data to turn observation into decision-ready insight.”

NeoMaps, the flagship platform, is developed, hosted and operated entirely in the Kingdom by Saudi talent.

Al-Farraj added that the software “gives government and private sectors and giga-projects instant, in-Kingdom access to maps, layered datasets, and advanced analytics for environmental monitoring, urban planning, and infrastructure management.”

The company frames NeoMaps as a sovereign alternative to foreign mapping stacks, engineered on open standards and cloud-native pipelines to reduce latency from acquisition to action for high-tempo Vision 2030 programs.

Al-Farraj said: “This allows for smart, fast decisions through near-real-time smart reports delivered in just four to six hours, not days, depending on the area of interest and required photo resolution.”

NSG highlights shoreline and mangrove monitoring on the Red Sea that helps authorities detect erosion or damage and act quickly to protect ecosystems.

Al-Farraj added: “Through our geospatial platforms, we can monitor changes to the shoreline and mangrove areas over time — helping authorities see where erosion or damage is happening and take quick action to protect these ecosystems.”

Similar tools are used to track vegetation health and water availability in arid regions, with insights processed securely inside the Kingdom to support sustainability, agriculture, and environmental resilience.

Al-Farraj said: “Satellite imagery allows us to identify areas that need better irrigation or early signs of drought.”

NSG is also developing a venture framework focused on sustainable space technologies — prioritizing low-debris satellite design, energy-efficient propulsion and ground systems, and climate analytics.

“The goal is to catalyze innovation that localizes capability in the Kingdom — transferring know-how into Saudi supply chains, growing advanced manufacturing, and ensuring space innovation accelerates environmental stewardship (and) not just exploration,” Al-Farraj said.

NSG credits early progress to the legacy capabilities of Taqnia ETS and a growing partner network.

The company is training Saudi talent and localizing advanced geospatial capabilities to position the Kingdom as a regional leader in mapping and Earth observation services.

Al-Farraj added: “We are expanding our partnerships both locally and globally to nurture Saudi talent, localize advanced capabilities, and position ����ֱ��, through NSG, as a regional leader in geospatial innovation and sustainability, aligned with Vision 2030.”