Hyundai Motor Company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATECH), Air Products Qudra (APQ) and the Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) to establish and develop an ecosystem for hydrogen-based mobility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The parties have agreed to cooperate in establishing a hydrogen-based mobility ecosystem in Saudi Arabia and to provide support on technological services and human resources. Specific areas of collaboration include promoting demonstration projects for hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles and exploring opportunities for joint research in the field of hydrogen-based mobility.

Hyundai Motor is expected to provide hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles to SAPTCO as part of the partnership.

This partnership with the country's major stakeholders represents a significant milestone in our efforts to establish a sustainable . We also plan to continuously expand the hydrogen-based mobility industry in line with Saudi Arabia’s ambition to reach net zero emissions.

—Jaehoon Chang, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company

Meanwhile, KATECH is expected to explore further opportunities for collaboration in R&D and APQ will secure a hydrogen supply in Saudi Arabia for the partnership. SAPTCO is expected to closely cooperate with the stakeholders to formulate a long-term plan aimed at further expanding the ecosystem for hydrogen-based mobility in the country.

This cooperation opens doors for our hydrogen bus technology to enter the Middle East market. We will work towards developing hydrogen buses suitable for high-temperature climates with the automotive industry so that the domestic automotive industry to expand its presence globally.

—Seung-sik Na, President of KATECH

In 2016, Saudi Arabia established the Saudi Vision 2030 strategy to transition from relying on oil exports and promoting economic diversification through strategic investments in key sectors. As part of this strategy, the country announced the “Saudi Green Initiative” in 2021, demonstrating its commitment to exploring cutting-edge technologies and innovations to achieve the net zero carbon emission goal by 2060.

Hyundai Motor Group successfully exported two ELEC CITY Fuel Cell buses to Saudi Arabia in 2020. The Group expanded its reach in the country by exporting the XCIENT Fuel Cell heavy duty truck in 2021.