China’s Lenovo sets up regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia

Chinese PC maker Lenovo is joining the parade of international firms responding to Saudi directives that they establish their regional headquarters in the kingdom.

The company is teaming up with Alat, a unit of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, to build a manufacturing facility for PCs, laptops, smartphones, and servers.

Headed by Lenovo veteran Lawrence Yu, the office will aim to reinforce the Chinese company’s presence and manufacturing capabilities in the Middle East, Reuters reports.

Saudi Arabia implemented new rules this year that require international firms to establish a regional HQ in the country as a condition for receiving government contracts.

Saudi Arabia’s NEOM opens U.S. headquarters in New York City

Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion NEOM project, which is trying to reinvent the urban landscape almost from scratch, has placed its U.S. headquarters smack in the middle of New York City.

The office in New York’s Hudson Yards on the Manhattan waterfront will enable NEOM’s managers to connect with Wall Street, drawing investors, industry leaders and candidates for executive posts. NEOM’S The Line, a futuristic city-in-the-making parallel to the Red Sea coast, and its luxury Trojena ski resort in the Tabuk mountains, aim to rewrite rules of engineering and conceptions of what is possible in the desert kingdom.

Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.S., formally opened the office on Tuesday, calling NEOM, “an inspiration for ambitious projects around the world, as it represents a unique model for future cities.”