Displaying items by tag: Yemen

Yemen: Eastern Cement had its fuel and raw materials supply for clinker production interrupted due to escalating security and political turmoil. The supply problems have been solved and clinker production processes have returned to normal, the Saudi Arabian cement producer confirmed.

The sale of cement by Arabian Yemen Cement Company, in which Eastern Cement controls a stake of 32%, has continued without disruption as the company has sufficient reserves of clinker. Arabian Yemen Cement Company, based in Hadhramaut province, was founded in 2004. The company's cement factory with production capacity of 1.5Mt/yr is the largest Saudi investment in Yemen.

Oman: Raysut Cement has warned that the large volume of cement from the UAE to Oman is creating 'undue competition' in the local market. It has reacted to this by maintaining sales locally, increasing its profit and increasing its own exports in Yemen and Africa. The company made the announcement as part of its half-year results for 2014.

The group reported revenues of US$129m for the first half of 2014, no change in comparison to the same period in 2013. Profit before tax rose by 6.7% year-on-year to US$45m.

The group sold 1.3Mt of cement and 17,400t of clinker in the first half a 2014, a decrease of 3% year-on-year compared to total sales of cement and clinker. In the first half of 2013 the group sold 1.32Mt of cement and 27,900t of clinker. The group attributed the decline to 'severe' competition from UAE suppliers in the north of Oman. It compensated for this with increased sales in the south of the country and larger export volumes.

The Oman-based cement producer also announced new projects it is working on, including setting up a distribution terminal in Duqm, additional silo capacity at the Salalah plant and an off-shore wheel loader system to facilitate bulk cement handling.

Oman: The board of directors at Oman's Raysut Cement has announced that it will give the green light to the firm's plans for a series of expansion moves, both at home and abroad. As part of the plan, the country's largest cement manufacturer will establish modern state‐of‐the‐art Cement Terminal inside Oman's Duqm Port for storing, packing and distribution of cement. The facilities will include two silos, each with a capacity of 4000t. The port plan is expected to commence operation in the second half of 2014.

The Raysut board has also given approval for the establishment of a modern state‐of‐the‐art cement terminal at Berbera Port in Somalia. The construction, to be undertaken as a joint venture with local partners, will see storage, packing and distribution of cement from three 4000t silos.

Additionally, the board approved the establishment of a grinding plant in Mukulla, Yemen through its sister company Mukulla Raysut. Another joint venture with a local partner, the Yemen grinding plant will have a capacity of 0.5Mt/yr and will pack cement for the Yemeni market.

Finally, Raysut is planning to improve its Pioneer Cement Industries plant in the United Arab Emirates. The expansion will see the installation of an additional cement silo, a cooling system upgrade and the installation of environmental abatement systems.

"This development and expansion will have positive impact on the performance results and profitability of the company in the future," said Raysut in a statement.

Yemen: Tribal gunmen have kidnapped two Egyptian cement plant workers. A Yemeni security official, quoted by the Associated Press, said that the tribesmen abducted the pair on 6 May 2013 in Abyan province and took them to an unknown destination at gunpoint.

The authorities are trying to find out the identity of the kidnappers and if there were any demands. Kidnapping of foreigners by tribesmen is frequent in Yemen, where hostages are used as bargaining chips to secure the release of Yemeni prisoners or to get cash.

Yemen: It is being reported that large quantities of Saudi Arabian cement are being smuggled to Yemeni markets due to the decline of local supply and an increase in cement demand in Yemen. The head of the financial sector of the Public Cement Corporation, Abdul-Malik Al-Qirshi, told Yemeni press that the trucks that transfer Yemeni salt to the Saudi town of Jazan, return to Hodeida in Yemen carrying Saudi cement. Exports from Saudi Arabia have recently been blocked by the government there.

Al-Qirshi explained that Saudi cement increasingly flows to Yemeni markets due to the suspension of production at some Yemeni factories. He made it clear that the Saudi cement is largely purchased in Hodeida and on the Yemeni-Saudi border, going on to add that Saudi cement is sold at nearly twice the price that it is in Saudi Arabia.

"Despite the fact that Saudi cement is smuggled to the Yemeni markets, there is impure cement of unknown-origin that is packed in Saudi-made bags" he added. "This occurs due to weak control on the Yemeni market." With the exception of Amran and Al-Watania cement factories, all the other five cement factories in Yemen have halted production.