Tesla enters Saudi market | Cybertruck in Riyadh as Musk eyes EV revival amid sales slump

Tesla opened its first showroom in Saudi Arabia — marking a dramatic push into the Gulf’s electric future. The star of the Riyadh launch? A Cybertruck under palm trees, surrounded by excited crowds, even though Elon Musk himself didn’t attend. This comes at a time when Tesla faces global headwinds: a 13% dip in Q1 2025 sales, intensifying competition from GM and Ford, and political backlash over Musk’s alliance with Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is targeting 30% EV adoption by 2030 — a big leap from just 1% last year.From sandstorms to Superchargers, this launch signals more than a showroom. It’s a geopolitical gear shift in the EV race.