AVL and CEER sign MoU to strengthen strategic partnership
At Saudi Arabia's PIF Private Sector Forum, AVL and CEER signed a MoU to deepen their partnership on CEER's electric vehicle program and advance Vision 2030.
- 12,000
- US$8 billion
- US$21 billion
- more than 90
What Happened
AVL List GmbH and CEER signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the PIF Private Sector Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in April 2026. The agreement deepens their strategic partnership across technological and industrial domains, supporting CEER's electric vehicle program and Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 is a national strategy to diversify the Kingdom's economy, foster innovation, and accelerate private-sector development. The forum, hosted by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is a platform for activating private-sector participation and fostering investment across priority industries.
The cooperation covers the full span of AVL's engineering capabilities, including advanced vehicle development, high-voltage system integration, homologation support, engineering expertise, testing and validation services, and simulation solutions across the entire development cycle. AVL says these combined competencies will help CEER accelerate time-to-market, ensure the highest standards of product quality and safety, and offer efficient turnkey solutions. In the long term, the partnership strengthens sustainable industrial growth in Saudi Arabia through technology transfer, engineering capability development, and modern automotive infrastructure.
“Working with global partners, such as AVL, is aligned with CEER's goal of building a comprehensive automotive ecosystem in the Saudi Arabia.”
CEER is the first Saudi automotive brand to produce electric vehicles in Saudi Arabia and will design, engineer, manufacture, and sell sedans and sports utility vehicles for consumers in Saudi Arabia and the region. As a joint venture between PIF and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (Foxconn), CEER is part of PIF's strategy to diversify Saudi Arabia's GDP growth by investing in promising growth industries. BMW provides more than 100 years of technical know-how in vehicle development and manufacturing, while Foxconn develops the electrical architecture to create products that lead in infotainment, connectivity, and autonomous driving technologies. Each vehicle will be designed, engineered, and manufactured in Saudi Arabia and tested to the highest global automotive quality control and safety standards. CEER projects it will directly contribute US$8 billion to Saudi Arabia's GDP, improve the trade balance by US$21 billion, and create tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs by 2034.
“2026 is the year of CEER. We will reveal our first flagship models offering visionary design, breakthrough technology and exhilarating performance, uniquely crafted for this region. This moment will be more than a reveal. It will be the start of a new era.”
“This agreement reflects CEER's trust in AVL's solutions and competences. Together, we are shaping a new era of mobility built on efficiency, innovation, and global collaboration to creating lasting impact for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
AVL employs around 12,000 people and is one of the world's leading mobility technology companies for development, simulation, and testing in the automotive industry and in sectors such as aviation, marine, and energy. The company, which develops innovative technologies and tools for green, safe, and sustainable mobility, supports customers in their sustainable and digital transformation. Its focus is on electrification, software, artificial intelligence, and automation, and it also helps energy-intensive industries become more sustainable and efficient. AVL works with a global network of experts at more than 90 locations and over 45 tech and engineering centers.
Why this matters
This partnership helps CEER, Saudi Arabia's first brand to produce electric vehicles in the country, bring models to market faster with AVL's engineering, testing, and simulation expertise. It also supports Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 push to diversify the economy by building an automotive ecosystem and local engineering know-how. CEER projects the venture will add US$8 billion to GDP and create tens of thousands of jobs by 2034, so the deal affects the co…
Terms in This Story
- MoU
- Memorandum of Understanding; a document describing an agreement between parties, often less formal than a contract.
- EV
- Electric vehicle; a vehicle powered by electric motors using batteries instead of an internal combustion engine.
- Homologation
- The process of certifying that a vehicle meets regulatory and technical standards before it can be sold in a market.
- PIF
- Public Investment Fund; Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund investing in strategic industries.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.