The Tesla electric vehicle company owned by billionaire Elon Musk on Thursday opened its first showrooms in oil-rich Saudi Arabia -- where hybrid cars remain a rare sight.

The opening of showrooms in the capital Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam comes as Tesla global sales fall.

Showrooms in the United States have been attacked, reportedly because of links between Musk, the world's richest person, and US President Donald Trump. The company's share price has slumped since Musk started working with the US government.

"Today we are proud to officially launch in the kingdom," said Naseem Akbarzada, Tesla country manager for Saudi Arabia, hailing the start of a "long-term presence".

He added that charging stations for electric cars would be........

© Al Monitor