ABU DHABI, 22nd May, 2017 (WAM) -- Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi, SCAD, issued today its monthly report on the prices of building materials for the month of April 2017, compared with March 2017 and April 2016. The report presents an analysis of the movements in the prices of the various materials used in the construction industry in Abu Dhabis retail market through year-over-year and month-over-month comparisons.

As SCADs report finds, varying changes were observed in the average prices of building materials groups during April 2017 compared with March 2017, with increases led by the aggregates and sand and the cement blocks groups (up 8.7 percent each) and the paints group (up 4.6 percent), while the largest price falls were observed in construction labour costs (down 10.5 percent), diesel (down 3.5 percent) and steel (down 2.9 percent), compared with March 2017.

A year-over-year comparison of building materials prices for the month of April 2017 against April 2016 reveals increases in the price of the diesel group (up 25.0 percent), power cables (up 9.1 percent) and cement blocks (up 8.7 percent).

Meanwhile, decreases were led by the steel group (down 12.3 percent) waterproofing products (down 11.0 percent) and wood (down 10.1 percent) compared with April 2016.

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2017.