The kingdom is working to secure access to lithium and other minerals as part of its goal to turn itself into a hub for battery and EV manufacturing
Water supply is a major challenge for the lithium industry, following persistent drought in the South American country
Chile is the world’s second-largest producer of lithium
The kingdom’s growing mining industry is a key pillar in Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s Vision 2030 programme to diversify the economy away from oil dependency
The company is still determining which extraction method to use, but will likely begin with a mix of direct lithium extraction and evaporation pools
The kingdom has been studying setting up the trading platform in the second half of 2023 but a decision is not expected any time soon
The green mobility startup was in Dubai to showcase South Africa’s ability to design, manufacture and scale EV solutions for the continent