Saudi-listed Riyadh Cement Company is expected to move entirely on natural gas as a replacement for liquid fuel in its operations by the start of next year, according to a news report.

"The transition to using natural gas will be completed in one go, without stages or gradual transition," CEO Shoeil Al Ayed told Al-Eqtisadiah, an Arabic daily.

This month, the company signed a contract with the branch of Chengdu Design & Research Institute for the conversion to natural gas under the liquid fuel displacement programme for SAR 59.4 million.

The company expects a 6 percent increase in production costs due to Saudi Aramco raising the prices of fuel products used in cement production from 1 January 2026.
 
In December 2025, Riyadh Cement had signed an SAR 85 million contract with Chengdu Design and Research Institute of Building Materials Industry Company to build an electrical grid under the liquid fuel displacement programme for its plant in Nisah.

(Writing by P Deol; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com) 

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