FEBRUARYASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK9· HUMAIN invests $3B in xAI before SpaceX acquisition.· Stake converts into SpaceX shares post-merger.· JV to build 500MW AI data centres in Saudi Arabia.· Hyundai Motor and Kia will expand EV and hybrid lineups in 2026.· Staria EV gets 800V fast charging; EV2 focuses on affordability.· Hybrids cross 1 million sales, supporting 2030 goals.Hyundai and Kia are at the crossroads of global electric vehicle (EV) demand moderation and are hence gearing up a wide range of products for 2026, which will feature both electric vehicles and continuous investments in hybrid and internal combustion models.Among other things, Hyundai will roll out an electric variant of the Staria van and also reintroduce the Avante sedan and Tucson SUV with new designs.Meanwhile, Kia is preparing to debut the EV2, a subcompact electric SUV that will be hitting the market in summer 2026, along with new performance-oriented EVs.Hybrid versions will be introduced to the second-generation Seltos, and the Sportage SUV will come with efficiency improvements and upgraded in, car technology.The two vehicles, Staria Electric and Kia EV2, were unveiled at the 2026 Brussels Motor Show. The sales of Staria EV are planned for the first half of 2026, while the EV2 is scheduled for later in the year.Its 800-volt architecture, the Staria EV can be charged from 10 to 80% in about 20 minutes, which makes it a direct competitor to the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, for instance. However, the EV2 opts for an inexpensive 400-volt system so that it can be marketed as a low-cost city EV.As the industry insiders have named the current scenario, an EV chasm, both brand companies are leveraging the robust demand for hybrids. Hyundai's hybrid sales alone have surpassed one million units. With plans to expand to over 18 hybrid models by 2030, Kia targets 1.6 million EV sales by the decade's end. HUMAIN, the Saudi Arabia-based artificial intelligence firm backed by the Public Investment Fund, has invested $ 3 billion in xAI part of its Series E funding round, before xAI' s acquisition of SpaceX by early February 2026.To follow the merger, HUMAIN's significant minority stake in xAI was changed and shares of SpaceX.The transaction underlines HUMAIN's strategy to return to frontier AI platforms when strengthening Saudi Arabia's position in advanced digital infrastructure.Compatible with investment, an ongoing partnership between HUMAIN and xAI, including xAI deployment plans, Grok I models the kingdom and joins forces with them.HUMAIN ONE, A proprietary system designed to control AI- powered agents and task-based automation.To the central collaboration is a joint initiative to develop over 500 megawatts Of next- generation AI data centre and calculation infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. The project supports the Kingdom's broader ambition for the scale of national data centre capacity Up to approx 1.5 gigawatts by 2030.The merger with SpaceX is expected to accelerate. XAI' s technological integration and global expansion, marking its first major compute deployment outside the United States When strengthening the growing role of state- supported capital AI infrastructure development. HYUNDAI MOTOR & KIA PLAN NEW EVS, HYBRIDS FOR 2026SAUDI HUMAIN INVESTS $3 BILLION IN XAINEWSROOM
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