Global Cement News

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Cement has appointed Khalid Abdulrahman Al-Rajhi as the chair of its board of directors. The term started at the beginning of January 2022 and has a duration of three years to the end of 2024. Other appointments include Mohammed Abdulkarim Al-Khereiji as vice-chairman and Mohammed Ali Al-Garni as secretary of the board of directors.

Zimbabwe: Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe appointed Geoffrey Ndugwa as chief executive officer (CEO) in mid-December 2021. He succeeds Precious Murena, who stepped down in September 2021.

Ndugwa was previously the CEO for Lafarge Malawi from late 2019. He brings experience in the cement industry spanning over 17 years working in various capacities across Africa. Some of his notable appointments include being the Commercial Director for Bamburi Group in Kenya, the General Manager Innovation and Marketing for Lafarge WAPCO Nigeria, the General Manager for Bamburi Special Products in Kenya, the Head of Business Support for Barclays Bank of Uganda and the Sales Manager for Hima Cement in Uganda.

Ndugwa holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Heriot-Watt University in the UK, a post graduate diploma in marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing in the UK and a Civil Engineering degree from the University of East London.

Uzbekistan: The state assets management agency UzAssets has agreed to sell the Uzbek government’s 87% stake in Qizilqumcement for US$174m, according to the UzDaily newspaper. Under the terms of the deal, United Cement Group will maintain the plant’s personnel and the level of their pay, implement the approved modernisation programme and continue to provide training, support social projects in Navoi region and organise events in the community.

Afghanistan: The acting deputy prime minister of the interim government in Afghanistan hosted talks between investors from Afghanistan and Russia on 4 January 2021. Anadolu News Agency has reported that the investors plan to collaborate on the establishment of a new cement company.

Acting deputy culture and information minister Zabiullah Mujahid tweeted that the meeting covered the establishment of cement plants‘in detail’. He added that the government will strive to establish investor-friendly laws.

Pakistan: All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) members dispatched 27.5Mt of cement in the first half of the 2022 financial year, down by 4.1% year-on-year from 28.6Mt in the first half of the 2021 financial year. The News International newspaper has reported that exports fell by 32%during the period to 3.39Mt from 5.02Mt.