Africa & The Middle East

Eithiopia’s Habesha Cement has received five tenders for the construction of its newest plant.

ASEC Holding has acquired an additional 9.48% holding in ASEC cement, thereby increasing its exposure to become one of the region’s largest independent cement producers.

In Ghana, an agreement has been made between Ghacem Limited and Mutiwall Paper Sacks (MPs) West Africa Limited regarding limestone mining operations in Western Nzema.

Lhoist and Suhail Bahwan Group have formed a joint venture to develop limestone and dolomite reserves in Oman.

SAK Commodities has confirmed its first support contract with Iraq's Ministry of Trade. Excerpts from the company’s statement about the contract follow here.

Egypt is looking to start an international bidding process to grant cement licences by mid-year.

Continental Coal Ltd has appointed Trollope Mining Services (TMS) for the development of its Vlarkvarkfontein mine in South Africa. Production is expected to commence in about two weeks time.

Aamal Company is diversifying into new high growth revenue streams.

A new tower dominates the Dubai skyline, the GCC opts to create its own petro-currency and the UAE orders its first nuclear reactors.

Fortress Group has embarked on shipping 100 000 t of cement to Cameroon, with the last of eight vessels heading for Cameroon in late December 2009.

Saudi Arabia has reintroduced customs duties to address an oversupply of cement and steel.

News of licences in Egypt, progress in Ghana, expansion in Ethiopia and contracts in Kenya.

Before the start of COP15, the South African Presidency issued a statement declaring its commitment to achieving a successful outcome in Copenhagen. It outlined the country’s emissions targets and emphasised the need for financial and technological aid for developing countries.

According to reports, the Algerian government is planning to consolidate its state-owned cement plants to form a company that will challenge Lafarge for a greater share of the Algerian market.

The world has witnessed rapid financial and economical changes over the last months, causing extreme changes and uncertainty in many fields. The cement market has always been dynamic, requiring updated studies to follow the rapid fluctuations. The GCC countries are going through the ‘after the boom’ scenario.