King Saud University (KSU) has unveiled its Gazal-1 model, said to be specifically designed for the terrain of the Arab peninsular.

Claiming to be the first car to be engineered and manufactured by Saudis, the Gazal-1 is 4.8m (16ft) long and 1.9m (6ft) wide. KSU estimates a production volume of around 20,000 per year.

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“The creation of Gazal-1 is one of King Saud University’s most ambitious projects to date, and [has been] developed by a team of KSU student-engineers who designed the car with the diverse terrain of the Arab Peninsula in mind,” said a KSU statement.

Although no financial details are available, it appears the project has been sponsored by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.

University rector Al Othman added: “This shows Saudi Arabia has capable people who can transform ideas into products of high economic value.”

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