Riyadh – Sharikat Mubasher: The American carmaker Ford is looking to enter a new phase of local manufacturing in Saudi Arabia, in line with government initiatives aimed at localizing the automotive industry, particularly as the Saudi market now accounts for half of the company’s regional sales. Ford recorded annual sales growth of nearly 12% in 2025, according to comments made to Al Eqtisadiah by Ravi Ravichandran, the company’s President for the Middle East and North Africa.

The regional head of Ford revealed that cooperation and feasibility studies are currently underway with Saudi sovereign and regulatory entities, including the Ministry of Investment, the Public Investment Fund, and the National Industrial Development Center, to explore opportunities that would give the brand a qualitative competitive edge in the local market.

Ravichandran emphasized that moving toward manufacturing in Saudi Arabia represents Ford’s next major step, as the company seeks to build a sustainable partnership that contributes to shaping the future of the Saudi automotive sector. He explained that this intention to localize manufacturing had previously been highlighted by Jim Farley, Ford CEO, during his recent visit to Riyadh, and forms part of a long-term strategic vision extending over the next 50 years. This vision is not aimed at temporary solutions or merely importing existing products.

Saudi Arabia currently accounts for half of Ford’s sales across the Gulf and the Middle East and North Africa region, according to the company’s regional president, making the Kingdom the central pillar of Ford’s strategy to reach annual sales of 100,000 vehicles. The company has risen to fourth place among the largest car manufacturers in Saudi Arabia, outperforming its performance in other regional markets such as the UAE and Kuwait, supported by strong sales of the Territory model, followed by Taurus and then Everest.