Global Cement News

Saudi Arabia: Arabian Cement recorded a net profit of US$11.8m in the first half of 2025, a 46.9% year-on-year fall. The company’s revenues reached US$126m for the same period, a 16.9% rise. In the second quarter of 2025, Arabian Cement recorded a 20.1% lower net profit year-on-year at US$5.5m, despite a 32.9% increase in revenues to US$62.1m.

Morocco: Cement sales increased by 9.8% in the first half of 2025, according to the Department of Financial Studies and Forecasts (DEPF). Growth was driven by a 19.2% year-on-year rise in deliveries to ready-mix concrete companies, a 17.1% rise in sales to precast concrete producers, a 6.4% rise in infrastructure sales and a 6.1% rise in general distribution.

Uganda: A group of workers from Tororo Cement staged a protest on 28 July 2025, in which they demanded better pay and improved working conditions. The workers, mainly from the kiln section, called on management to increase their wages in light of the rising cost of living. They are also seeking to be considered for full-time employment and for improvements in workplace safety and conditions.

The protest was suspended after management offered a 10% salary increase, lower than the 17% initially proposed by the workers’ union. Patricia Chemutai, the company’s Human Resource Officer, expressed surprise at the demonstration, saying that negotiations had already been underway when the protests began. Chemutai noted that the disagreement stemmed from the union’s initial demand of a 30% salary increase, which management found ‘excessive.’

France: Vicat’s sales remained stable at €1.89bn on a like-for-like basis in the first half of 2025. This was attributed to negative currency exchange effects in Brazil, Egypt and Türkiye, and a slowdown in activity in the US. Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 2% year-on-year to €331m from €353m in the same period in 2024. Cement and concrete sales volumes dropped by 2.5% to 13.7Mt and 3.9% to 4.4Mm³ respectively. Aggregates volumes rose by 5.8% to 11.3Mt. By region sales revenue and earnings fell in France yet rose in the rest of Europe and the Mediterranean. It fell elsewhere.

“The group continues to implement its market plan, with the start-up of Kiln 6 in Senegal, a major driver of the group’s organic growth, development in the construction chemicals business with the merger between VPI and Cermix, and the acquisition of Realmix, which strengthens the group’s vertical integration in Brazil,” said Guy Sidos, Vicat’s chair and CEO.

Nigeria: Domestic sales revenue and earnings have driven Dangote Cement’s financial performance in the first half of 2025. Its sales revenue grew by 17.7% year-on-year to US$1.35bn in the reporting period compared to US$1.15bn in 2024. Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 41.8% to US$618m from US$435m. Sales and earnings grew sharply at home in Nigeria yet they fell elsewhere in Africa. Sales volumes of cement dropped by 4.1% to 13.4Mt from 13.9Mt, with a minor decrease locally and a sharper fall in other countries.

Arvind Pathak, CEO of Dangote Cement, said “While group volumes declined… [due] to softer demand in key markets, we remain encouraged by the growth in our export business. Export volumes from Nigeria increased by 18.2%, with 18 successful clinker shipments made to Ghana and Cameroon. This demonstrates the growing importance of our pan-African footprint and our ongoing commitment to regional trade and self-sufficiency.

By region, the group noted that its sales revenue in Nigeria rose sharply driven by price adjustments to keep up with inflation. Exports from national operations increased by 18.2% to 671,000t. 481,000t of this total was sent to Cameroon and Ghana. In the rest of Africa the company blamed lower sales volumes on post-election uncertainties in Senegal and South Africa, and liquidity constraints in Ethiopia due to delays in the approval of the national budget.

Finally, it was announced that company chair and founder Aliko Dangote has stepped down from the board of directors. It celebrated his, “pivotal and transformative role in shaping the company’s growth, success, and lasting legacy.”