Jaguar Land Rover has signed a letter of Intent with Saudi Arabia’s National Industrial Clusters Development Program (NICDP) to build a new plant to manufacture Jaguar and Land Rover brand vehicles in the country.
The carmaker, along with NICDP, has also started a feasibility study to determine the viability of building a new automotive manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia, with further plans expected in 2013.
Jaguar Land Rover chief executive officer Dr Ralf Speth said that the project is expected to allow Jaguar Land Rover to establish a Joint Venture partnership in the country where luxury vehicle sales are expected to rise.
"If we proceed, it will complement our existing expansion in the UK and elsewhere," Speth said said.
The raw materials for the carmaker will be provided by an aluminum complex being built in Ras Al-Khair, north of Jubail.
Scheduled to start production in 2014, the new aluminum complex is a joint venture between Saudi Arabian Mining and US based Alcoa.
The carmaker is aiming to initially build Land Rover brands at the new plant, with plans to build Jaguar and Range Rover brands in future to increase its sales in the region as well as to export to other regions..
In July 2012, Tata Motors has announced its plan to set up a Jaguar Land Rover assembly plant in Brazil.
