Lucid collaborates with PIF to train Saudi talents, says Winterhoff

Marc Winterhoff, Acting CEO of Lucid Motors

Marc Winterhoff, Interim CEO of Lucid Motors, said that substantial efforts are being made in collaboration with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) to train and develop national talents.

These efforts include joint programs that involve qualifying Saudi nationals to work in local manufacturing facilities, in addition to sending trainees to the US for six months before returning to take up roles in the Kingdom.

Speaking at a panel at the Saudi-US Investment Forum, Winterhoff pointed out that Saudi Arabia possesses significant capabilities, but many factories require a skilled local workforce to achieve full integration. He noted that over 65% of Lucid’s employees in the Kingdom are Saudi nationals, and this percentage rises steadily.

He also highlighted ongoing collaboration with a specialized automotive academy and exchange initiatives that facilitate the movement of talents between Saudi Arabia and the US. These initiatives include visits to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

Winterhoff said one of the company’s key objectives is to attract top global engineers to work alongside KAUST to foster knowledge transfer, advance artificial intelligence (AI) model development, and enhance local capabilities.

He noted that Lucid learned three key lessons over the past five years: vertical integration, localization, and sustainability.

Winterhoff recalled that in 2020, Lucid made the then-unconventional decision to establish a manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia, when most investors were shifting toward China.

He explained that the decision was driven by a belief that future geopolitical shifts could exert pressure on China, making Saudi Arabia, through Vision 2030, a strategic choice for the company.