electric

POP star Zara Larsson has made waves rocking a purple bikini on Instagram in a striking, nighttime photoshoot.

The Swedish singer, 28, can be seen posing on a beach, bathed in dark lighting with dramatic flash photography and an E.T vibe.

The blonde bombshell can be seen wearing a tiny metallic purple string bikini paired with her long blonde hair down with decorative glowing star stickers scattered across her skin.

The visual highlights several dynamic poses, including standing centered within a mesmerising circular swirl pattern carved into the sand, crouching low to the ground and striking side-profile silhouettes.

Injecting a touch of humour into the artistic drop, the post also features a playful product shot of a water bottle sitting upright in the middle of the sand ripples.

The post quickly drew hundreds of thousands of likes and a flood of enthusiastic comments from fans praising her look.

Fans commented: “God is a woman.”

A second playfully wrote: “She can just do that with the sand btw.”

A third added: “BODY WAS SCULPTED FROM THE GODS.”

Zara recently addressed the White House social media team’s use of her song Midnight Sun in a TikTok video featuring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations captioned ‘Never ending deportations’.

In a response shared on TikTok, Larsson expressed her sadness and heavy heart regarding the situation.

She shared a message directed at the creators of the video and wrote: “I wish I could talk to you, and I wish I could help you remember that you and I, we aren’t that different at all.

“And we’re not that different from the people in the video, either.

“The biggest difference between us is that we were dealt a different hand in life.”

The singer continued: “I consider myself so lucky with the life that I’ve been dealt.

“The fact that I’m born in Sweden, I’ve had an education and I’ve had all these opportunities just sort of laid out in front of me.

“I can travel and get to do all these amazing things. That’s luck.

“There are people out there who are not that lucky, and they want to have a better life for their families or for themselves and their children.

“I just don’t understand how it could be the worst thing in the world to be an undocumented immigrant.”

Larsson continued: “This video is so dehumanizing. These people in the video are real people.

“It’s so crazy how everything is so meme-ified, especially ‘Midnight Sun,’ which is about feeling connected to nature, the universe and people, essentially.

“And this just creates this massive divide between people. I just don’t get it. It’s so f***ing uncool… You guys are such f***ing losers, like it’s crazy.”

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s first automotive company and original equipment manufacturer, Ceer, will unveil its first flagship electric vehicles, a sedan and an SUV, on Sept. 21, marking a major milestone in the Kingdom’s efforts to establish a domestic automotive industry.

The reveal comes as Saudi Arabia accelerates its push to develop advanced manufacturing capabilities and build an electric-vehicle ecosystem under Vision 2030, supporting economic diversification and strengthening the Kingdom’s position in the global automotive industry.

Established in 2022, Ceer is moving from vehicle development to the unveiling of its first models as Saudi Arabia seeks to establish itself as a regional hub for electric-vehicle manufacturing.

James DeLuca, CEO of Ceer, said: “At the beginning of this year, we said that 2026 is the year of Ceer. I am happy to announce that we’ve set the date for the reveal of our first flagship vehicles.”

He added: “The world is about to witness a historic moment, the result of an incredible journey from initial design and intensive engineering to the buildup of one of the most advanced manufacturing facilities in the world, in record time.”

Saudi Arabia’s EV push

The Public Investment Fund is driving the Kingdom’s electric vehicle ambitions through investments in companies including Ceer and Lucid, while supporting a broader ecosystem covering manufacturing, infrastructure, technology and supply chains.

Ceer was established as a joint venture between PIF and Foxconn to develop Saudi Arabia’s automotive industry. The company designs, engineers, sources, validates and manufactures vehicles, with plans to sell and service them in the near future.

Workforce and local impact

Since its establishment, Ceer has expanded its workforce from 20 to 2,300 employees, bringing together Saudi talent and global automotive experts.

The company has secured partnerships with international companies including BMW, Hyundai Transys and Rimac, as well as Siemens, Sabelt, Isoclima, ANDRITZ Schuler, Durr and XYG.

These partnerships support Ceer’s target of achieving 45 percent local content by 2034. The company is also developing an advanced manufacturing complex and vehicles tailored to the needs of Saudi Arabia and the wider region.

Ceer is expected to contribute around SR30 billion ($8 billion) to Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product, improve the trade balance by SR80 billion and create about 30,000 jobs, with Saudis accounting for 80 percent of direct employment.

The company also supports the Saudi Green Initiative’s target of achieving net-zero emissions in the Kingdom by 2060.