Pakistan: Gharibwal Cement has halted clinker production after its kiln induced draught (ID) fan was damaged during operation, the company disclosed to the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The company said it has initiated repair and that a replacement fan and parts have been ordered, with shipment expected in September 2026. Normal operations will be resumed as soon as possible. The plant has a capacity has of 7500t/day of cement.
UAE: Holcim UAE and carbon storage developer 44.01 have launched what they call the UAE’s first continuous, live-condition carbon capture and underground mineralisation project for the cement sector in Fujairah. Following its initial commissioning, the facility has been operational since mid-July 2026, capturing between 4-4.5t/day of CO2 directly from the flue gas stream of Holcim’s cement plant. The captured carbon is transported to 44.01’s nearby storage site and injected underground into Fujairah’s rock formations. The injected CO2 reacts with the surrounding rock, turning into solid carbonate minerals.
Over the next six months, project partners will gather real-time performance data under industrial conditions to evaluate the feasibility of deploying larger-scale mineralisation infrastructure across the UAE and global markets.
Saudi Arabia: Qassim Cement has signed an agreement with the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF) to secure US$105m of funding for the construction of a fourth production line at its plant in the Buraydah region. The funding will help replace certain production lines and boost its capacity to 10,000t/day, according to a stock exchange filing.
The financing is for a nine-year period, including a two-year grace period, with a repayment schedule over 7 years.
In 2025, Qassim Cement awarded a US$298m contract to China-based Sinoma to set up the fourth cement production line at its Buraydah plant. Under this, Sinoma will provide complete EPC services for the production line.
Jamaica: Caribbean Cement could resume regional exports as early as September 2026, according to The Jamaica Observer, which said that the company is targeting the Cayman Islands and The Bahamas, as increased production restores surplus capacity. The company restarted exports to regional markets in January 2026, but later suspended planned shipments as supplies dwindled.
“With our new enhanced capacity, we are willing; we have the capacity not only to serve the entire local market, but also to export some surpluses,” said managing director Jorge Martinez during the company’s annual general meeting.
The potential regional push follows US$29m of investment across 44 capital projects during 2025. Of that amount, US$17m went towards the expansion of the kiln and US$4m towards replacing the stack. Other projects included a new tyre shredder and additional machinery. However, Martinez placed a clear limit on any expansion, saying “We are being responsible about attending and handling the local market as our first priority.”
Caribbean Cement faced challenges meeting local demand in April and May 2026. Martinez said that the company had requested supplementary cement in March 2026. However, the additional supply, including cement sourced through Cemex’s operations in the Bahamas, took weeks to arrive, during which time Caribbean Cement had halted its planned exports and redirected available cement to the domestic market.
“What we are doing is significantly increasing our safety inventories of finished products, higher warehousing capacity and getting supplementary cement if needed,” Martinez said.
