Middle East and Africa

cobalt · Morocco · Gulf capital

Gulf states buy EV and hydrogen industry with sovereign capital, and Africa supplies the cobalt and copper. Morocco, with trade deals in both directions, is where Chinese firms are building battery materials and cells.

Three flows. Gulf: Saudi Public Investment Fund capital funds Lucid and Ceer car plants at King Abdullah Economic City and the NEOM green ammonia project. Africa: cobalt and copper from the Democratic Republic of the Congo feed cathode and cell plants in Morocco, which sell to EU and US buyers; these mines and plants are largely Chinese-owned (CMOC, Gotion, CNGR, BTR). East Africa: local assembly of electric motorcycles and buses by companies such as Roam and BasiGo. GULF: SOVEREIGN CAPITAL BUYS INDUSTRY PIF capital Lucid, Ceer at KAEC NEOM ammonia AFRICA: MINERALS TO A TRADE BRIDGE DRC cobalt, copper Morocco CAM, cells EU, US buyers LOCAL ASSEMBLY: TWO-WHEELERS AND BUSES East Africa e-motos, e-buses Roam, BasiGo Red: Chinese-owned mines and plants (CMOC, Gotion, CNGR, BTR).
DRC share of mined cobalt
~3/4
Lucid AMP-2
KAEC, Saudi Arabia
Gotion Morocco
Kenitra
Hub
OEMs

Finding

The region plays two different roles: Gulf states finance EV and hydrogen plants, while Africa supplies cobalt and copper - and Morocco is becoming the bridge where Chinese firms build battery materials for Western markets

The Democratic Republic of the Congo mines about three-quarters of the world's cobalt, mostly through China's CMOC and through Glencore; it banned cobalt exports in February 2025 and switched to quotas in October. In Morocco, Gotion is building a cell plant at Kenitra, CNGR and BTR are building precursor and anode plants, and Stellantis Kenitra builds the Citroën Ami and Fiat Topolino.

In Saudi Arabia, Lucid assembles the Gravity and Air at its AMP-2 plant in King Abdullah Economic City, Ceer (PIF and Foxconn) is preparing its first EV, and Hyundai is building a plant in the same cluster. NEOM Green Hydrogen, with ACWA Power and Air Products, is building a 2.2 GW electrolysis plant for green ammonia. The UAE's Masdar invests in renewables and storage worldwide.

South Africa's car plants (Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, BMW, Toyota, Ford) export mainly to Europe; a 150% investment allowance for EV and battery production starts in 2026. Kenya and Rwanda lead in electric two-wheelers and buses (Roam, Ampersand, BasiGo). Zimbabwe, where Chinese firms own the main lithium mines, plans to ban lithium concentrate exports from 2027.

Middle East

Middle East manufacturers and projects

Middle East electrification manufacturers
Company or projectCountrySectorStatusNote
ACWA PowerSaudi ArabiaRenewables, hydrogenOperatingSolar, storage and NEOM hydrogen partner
CeerSaudi ArabiaEVsBuildingPIF-Foxconn brand; plant at King Abdullah Economic City
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Middle EastSaudi ArabiaVehiclesBuildingHyundai and PIF plant at King Salman Automotive Cluster
Lucid AMP-2Saudi ArabiaEVsOperatingAssembly of Lucid Air and Gravity kits; full production planned
MasdarUAERenewables, storageOperatingSolar-plus-storage projects across the Gulf and abroad
NEOM Green HydrogenSaudi ArabiaGreen ammoniaBuilding2.2 GW electrolysis; ACWA Power, Air Products, NEOM
StoreDotIsraelFast-charge cellsDevelopmentSilicon-anode extreme fast-charging cells licensed to automakers

Africa

African producers and manufacturers

African electrification producers
Company or projectCountrySectorStatusNote
BasiGoKenyaElectric busesOperatingAssembles BYD-based buses; pay-as-you-drive leasing
BTR New MaterialMoroccoAnodeBuildingChinese anode maker; plant near Tangier
CMOCDR CongoCobalt, copperOperatingTenke Fungurume and Kisanfu; world's largest cobalt producer
CNGRMoroccoPrecursorBuildingJorf Lasfar precursor plant
GlencoreDR CongoCobalt, copperOperatingKamoto and Mutanda
GotionMoroccoCellsBuildingKenitra gigafactory
Ivanhoe MinesDR CongoCopperOperatingKamoa-Kakula, with Zijin Mining
RoamKenyaElectric motorcycles, busesOperatingNairobi assembly
Stellantis KenitraMoroccoMicro EVsOperatingStellantis Citroën Ami, Fiat Topolino, Opel Rocks Electric
Zimbabwe lithium (Huayou, Sinomine)ZimbabweLithiumOperatingArcadia and Bikita mines; concentrate export ban planned for 2027

Policy

Policy and integration

  • DRC cobalt quotas: export ban from February 2025, replaced by annual quotas from October 2025.
  • Saudi Vision 2030: target of 30% EVs in Riyadh by 2030 and local car production through PIF.
  • Morocco: free-trade agreements with the US and EU make it a base for Chinese battery-materials plants serving both.
  • South Africa: 150% investment allowance for EV and battery production from 2026.
  • Desert to Power: African Development Bank program for 10 GW of solar across 11 Sahel countries.

Sources

Sources and scope

Scope
Middle East and Africa
Sources
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries (2026); DRC ARECOMS; company disclosures
Updated
October 2026