Saudi Arabia’s cement exports shot above 11 million tonnes in 2022 and the first nine months of 2023 after most domestic producers ramped up output, a newspaper in the world’s largest oil exporter said on Tuesday.

Citing figures by the Saudi Trade Ministry, the paper said cement and clinker exports totalled 11.33 million tonnes in the 21-month period ending in September, the Arabic language daily Aliqtisadia said.

Saudi Arabia imported around 181,000 tonnes of cement and clinker in 2022 as the construction sector gained momentum after the epidemic.

Key export markets included Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Bangladesh while imports came mainly from India, the UAE, Egypt, China and the US.

Saudi Arabia is the top cement producer in the Middle East with annual output exceeding 50 million tonnes.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.