Displaying items by tag: UAE

UAE: Gulf Cement Company has reported a 29.3% profit drop to US$48.4m in the first half of 2015 compared to US$12m in the same period of 2014. Profits grew to US$4.29m in the first half of 2015 from US$2.53m in 2014. Gulf Cement had previously reported profits of US$4.12m in the first quarter of 2015 compared to US$14.4m in the same period of 2014.

UAE: Union Cement has reported an 8% decline in its profits for the first six months of 2015 to US$14.9m from US$16.2m in the sale period in 2014. Union Cement's revenue fell by 3.7% to US$85.7m in the first half from US$88.9m. The cement producer attributed the decline to falling sales volumes during the reporting period.

UAE: A report from Technavio suggests that cement exports from the UAE will decline in the four years to 2019 as a resurgence of building in the country takes hold.

The government will invest US$700bn over the next 15 years towards infrastructure development. As well as the Dubai EXPO 2020 and UAE National Vision 2021, major investments will be directed towards transport and power infrastructure projects, with the cement market forecast to grow by a compound annual growth rate of 7.56% in the period to 2019.

UAE: According to a Companies and Markets report, after the economic downturn of 2008 - 2009, the cement market in the UAE is showing a positive rebound and is expected to grow by 7.56%/yr in 2014 - 2019.

The UAE is currently producing double its cement demand. Over 50% of the cement produced in the UAE is exported to Oman, Egypt and other African countries. However, analysts believe that in the coming years the cement export share will decline to meet the growing domestic demand.

The growth of the cement market in the UAE is being primarily led by a surge in construction investment because of the revival of economy. The government will invest US$700bn in the next 15 years towards the infrastructure development in the country. Ahead of Dubai EXPO 2020 and UAE National Vision 2021, major investment will be directed toward transport and power infrastructure.

UAE: According to UAE Interact, the UAE's Ministry of Environment and Water has conducted field inspections at cement plants to determine their compliancy with national standards. A team of specialists from the external audit sector conducted both scheduled and surprise visits to nearly 20 cement plants as part of their annual evaluation process for ensuring complete implementation of the legislation. Saif Al Shara, assistant undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water's external audit sector, said that the latest assessment results show that the plants adhere to 60% of category A national standards, up from their 39% compliancy in 2013. For category B, cement plants complied with 35% of standards, compared to 33% in 2013. Finally, for category C, compliance fell from 17% in 2013 to 5%.

UAE: Fujairah Cement Industries (FCI) has reported a 51% surge in its net profits for the first quarter of 2015 to US$2.2m compared to US$1.47m in the corresponding period of 2014. FCI previously posted a net profit of US$7.02m for the entirety of 2014 against a net loss of US$3.32m in 2013.

UAE: Umm Al-Qaiwain Cement Industries Co has reported a profit drop of 93.3% to US$417,000 in the first quarter of 2015, compared to US$6.2m in the same period of 2014. The company had previously reported a net profit of US$1.58m in its 2014 financial year, a plunge of 67.3% from US$6.67m in 2013.

UAE: Everest Industries' new US$16m plant is now expected to be operational by December 2015 or January 2016. The plant will produce cement boards and panel products and is Everest Industries' first overseas venture. The products will cater to the company's exports in West Asian and African nations.

"We are hopeful of making the overseas unit operational by December 2015 or January 2016. It will give us better access to the Middle Eastern and African markets," said Rahul Chopra senior vice president and head roofing business. According to Chopra, the Ras Al-Khaimah unit might bring down export costs. Currently, exports contribute around US$32m towards Everest Industries' turnover.

With three of its recent facilities coming on-stream in the last two years, Chopra said that Everest Industries is now planning to ramp up and consolidate domestic manufacturing across its various segments and improve its distribution network via the addition of a 'retail touch point' in all centres with a population of 5000 - 10,000.

UAE: After more than 14 years with HeidelbergCement, Kerim Tunçay has been offered the position of general manager at Union Cement Norcem (UCN). Union Cement Norcem (UCN) is a joint venture between Union Cement Company (UCC) of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE and Norcem of HeidelbergCement. It was set up in 1980 to market and sell the American Petroleum Institute (API) certified oil well cement, concentrating on export markets.

Tunçay, who took charge of his new assignment from 1 September 2014, will be in charge of all domestic and export sales of cement and clinker of UCC in addition to the sales of oil well cement.

Born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1972, Tunçay has a Masters Degree in Business Administration from University of Saarland, in Saarbrucken, Germany and a Marketing Diploma from University of California, Berkeley. Trained as an International Trader Candidate, Tunçay started his career with the cement industry in 2000 at HeidelbergCement Trading (HCT) in Istanbul.

UAE: Arkan Building Material Company has opened a US$354m cement plant outside Al Ain, with 4Mt/yr of clinker and 5.7Mt/yr of cement of production capacity. The company said that the cement plant will source its raw materials from its own queries in Al Ain and Oman. Arkan plans to sell 90% of its production on the domestic market and 10% will be exported to GCC countries.