Pony.ai, a self-driving technology startup, tests its taxi service in the Nansha district of Guangzhou, Guangdong province. [Photos provided to chinadaily.com.cn]Autonomous driving startup Pony.ai said on Wednesday that it has obtained an investment of $100 million from Saudi Arabia's special economic zone NEOM. The far-reaching and industry-transforming joint venture will include a local state-of-the-art autonomous vehicle manufacturing and R&D facility. NEOM is an ideal strategic industrial location for the development of Pony.ai's autonomous vehicle technology within the region. NEOM's unique regional development provides a global living lab for advancing autonomous mobility as a key part of its multi-modal sustainable transport system, powered by 100 percent renewable energy.