Saudi Arabia cement sales have increased by 8.6 per cent year-on-year (YoY) according to the April monthly cement report produced by Riyadh-based investment firm NCB Capital.

The report also states that sales increased by 11.8 per cent month-on-month (MoM) reaching 5.88 million tonnes in March, which is a 7.1 per cent increase from March 2014. while clinker production declined by 6.6 per cent, and cement production increased by 8.9 per cent.

Local firm Najran Cement reported the highest year on year increase in cement production at 56.3 per cent followed by AlJouf Cement at 51.4 per cent. On a month on month basis, no company reported a decline in cement production.

The report goes on to say that the kingdom’s cement exports increased by 38 per cent (YoY), up from 50,000 tonnes in March 2014 to 69,000 tonnes in March 2015. Only three companies exported cement in March 2015 (Saudi Cement, Eastern Cement and Riyadh Cement).

In saying this clinker production is down 6.6 per cent (YoY) recording the biggest decline since January 2010. The report claims that this mostly due to expectations of on-going inventory build-up, triggered by new factory expansions across the kindgom.