Cement production in Saudi Arabia has not been affected by the spread of coronavirus and this has kept prices under control, a local newspaper said on Wednesday.

All cement plants in the Gulf kingdom are operating normally to meet local supply commitments despite the partial lockdown announced by the government as part of counter-measures, the Arabic language daily Alriyadh said, quoting chairman of the Saudi National Cement Commission Jihad bin Abdul Aziz.

"Cement production in Saudi Arabia has not been affected by the coronavirus pandemic as all plants are operating normally to meet their commitments to clients," he said.

He said cement firms in the world's largest oil exporter have taken precautionary measures to ensure the safety of their workers but added they are maintaining their supplies to the local market without any impact on the construction sector or prices.

Saudi Arabia is the largest Arab cement producer, with output peaking at over 60 million tonnes in 2015 before it receded in the following years.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

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