Electric vehicle company NWTN is partnering with UAE-based Sultan Investments to build a manufacturing base in Abu Dhabi's Khalifa Industrial Zone to expand its global network. The company said the EVSKD assembly base will be constructed in two phases. SKD, or semi-disassembly, refers to the partial assembly of a product during the car manufacturing process.

In the first phase, the Northwest region plans to have 24,000 square meters of manufacturing, testing, inventory and storage space with an annual capacity of 5,000 to 10,000 units. The first phase will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2022. The total area of the second-phase factory will be expanded to 100,000 square meters, and the production capacity will be increased to 50,000 vehicles per year. It is expected to be ready by the end of the first quarter of 2024.

The manufacturing base will strengthen the links between NWTN, which was founded in 2016 by Chinese entrepreneur Alan Wu, recently renamed and relocated its global headquarters to the UAE, with the UAE and the wider Middle East. It was formerly known as Iconiq and is in partnership with UAE-based automaker WMotors.

Sultan Investments is a private investment firm operating in property development, asset management, hotels, business centers and fitness clubs with a focus on the Middle East. Keywords: engineering construction, engineering news

The company's wholly-owned subsidiary, SMotors, will also work with NWTN to develop factories and EV distribution, the company said. The announcement comes as AD Ports Group, which operates Kizad, revealed plans to establish a regional automotive hub in the area to facilitate trade related to the automotive industry. Once operations begin in 2024, more than 430,000 vehicles are expected to pass through the car hub each year. UAE-based Ghassan Aboud Group is also involved in the project.Editor/XingWentao