China’s BYD plans to open 7 new showrooms in Saudi Arabia

Logo of BYD Co.

Chinese automaker BYD plans to ramp up its expansion efforts in Saudi Arabia by opening seven new showrooms by the second half of 2026, according to the company’s Managing Director for Saudi Arabia Jerome Saigot.

The company expects to sell more than 5,000 vehicles this year in the kingdom, he told Bloomberg.

“Saudi is a complex market. You need to go fast. You need to think big,” Saigot said.

“We are not here to stay at five or 10,000 cars a year,” he added.

Commenting on Tesla’s opening of its first showroom in Riyadh in April, Saigot said he sees the move as beneficial, with Tesla helping to raise EV awareness.

“The more Tesla communicates on marketing, the better it is for us,” he said.

BYD, which launched in the Kingdom in 2024, currently operates three showrooms located in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran.