RIYADH, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- China's multinational technology company Lenovo and Saudi company Alat on Sunday broke ground on a new manufacturing base in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
According to a statement released by Lenovo, the factory will cover 200,000 square meters at the Special Integrated Logistics Zone near Riyadh's international airport, and focus on the production of laptops, desktops, and servers, which is expected to begin in 2026.
The partnership is projected to create up to 15,000 direct jobs and 45,000 indirect jobs, with a cumulative non-oil GDP contribution of up to 10 billion U.S. dollars by 2030, the statement said, noting that Lenovo will establish a regional Middle East and Africa (MEA) headquarters in Riyadh to serve customers in the region.
Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony, Yang Yuanqing, chairman and CEO of Lenovo, said, "Through this powerful strategic collaboration and investment with Alat, we gain greater global presence, a strong regional foothold, and the ability to capitalize on the incredible growth momentum in Saudi Arabia and the wider MEA region."
"We are excited to have Alat as our long-term strategic partner, and are confident that our world-class supply chain capabilities as well as our innovation will benefit Saudi Arabia as it drives its Vision 2030 goals," he said.
For his part, Alat's CEO Amit Midha said, "With the establishment of a regional headquarters in Riyadh and a world-class manufacturing hub, powered by clean energy, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we expect the Lenovo team to further their potential across the MEA region."
