OSAKA - Saudi Arabia is advancing its national project Vision 2030 to achieve a post-oil society by the end of the decade, with the Riyadh Expo positioned as its grand culmination, and Japan is aiming to secure a foothold in the initiative by providing technologies such as decarbonization systems and expertise in hosting world expos, while also looking to translate this involvement into domestic economic growth.
Against this backdrop, Tier IV, a Japanese startup specializing in autonomous driving technology, has announced plans to expand into the Saudi market, signing a memorandum of understanding with a local company to jointly develop self-driving vehicles, while the Riyadh Expo is also expected to feature an autonomous car race.
The Osaka-Kansai Expo will close on October 13th, with Riyadh set to host the next edition in October 2030. Envisioned as a massive event fully aligned with Vision 2030, the Riyadh Expo will cover an exhibition area of 6 million square meters—roughly four times the size of the Osaka Expo and equivalent to about 128 Tokyo Domes. While Saudi Arabia remains a major oil producer, it is working to transform its industrial structure under Vision 2030, and the Expo has been positioned as a symbolic event showcasing this national transformation.
Japan, seeing significant business opportunities, is strengthening ties through frameworks such as the Japan-Saudi Vision Ministerial Meeting, co-chaired recently by Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Muto and Saudi Arabia’s investment minister. At the same time, Tier IV signed its agreement to pursue joint development in the field of autonomous driving, setting ambitious goals such as organizing a race between AI-driven and human-driven vehicles during the Riyadh Expo. The startup, backed by investors including Suzuki, Denso, and Toyota-affiliated funds, is seen as a standard-bearer for Japan’s auto industry as it seeks entry into the Saudi market.
In an interview, Tier IV’s chief executive explained the company’s strategy. Central to its proposal is “Robot Formula,” an autonomous racecar project inspired by Formula One, where vehicles—unmanned and capable of speeds up to 300 kilometers per hour—compete either against each other or against human drivers. The concept is intended to highlight the safety and utility of self-driving technology while offering entertainment value, with Saudi Arabia expected to take a lead in promoting it. The company also plans to integrate autonomous taxis and package its offerings with education and training programs to foster local talent.
According to Tier IV, Saudi Arabia is an ideal “greenfield” environment where new infrastructure can be designed around autonomous driving from the outset, rather than retrofitted into existing systems. This, combined with the kingdom’s financial capacity to invest heavily in new technologies, presents a rare opportunity to demonstrate the full value of self-driving solutions. The company envisions rolling out smaller, go-kart–like vehicles for educational purposes ahead of 2030, gradually building up to full-scale autonomous racing within the country. Ultimately, the initiative is intended not only to support Saudi Arabia’s transformation but also to contribute to Japan’s economic growth through deeper bilateral cooperation.
Source: テレ東BIZ
