Cement supply in Saudi Arabia will double within the next two to three years to reach 55 million tonnes annually, which will result in a surplus of cement that may reach 10 to 15 million tonnes by 2010, according to Saudi Readymix marketing and development director Fadi Mujahed.

He was speaking on the challenges and opportunities of the construction industry in the kingdom at the recent Middle East Cement Conference held at Dubai.
Mujahed presented his study titled: “Saudi Arabia – The Changing Construction Landscape” to delegates, which also examined the trends and varying needs of the Saudi construction industry as the expansion of the kingdom forges ahead.
In addition, he reviewed the position on current projects and outlined future trends for the cement industry in Saudi Arabia drawing on the vast experience Saudi Readymix has gained since it began operations nearly 30 years ago.
The conference also focused on key developments and the future outlook for the region’s cement industry.
“The construction industry is booming across the regions and sectors in the kingdom,” said Mujahed. “With more and more mega-projects being announced and launched, the construction landscape has been witnessing a rapid change. The fact that Saudi Readymix has a physical presence in all of the kingdom’s major metropolitan areas has given it the advantage of being in close contact with all these projects as well as a unique perspective in monitoring this industry.”
Commenting on the measures taken by Saudi Readymix to meet the growing demand he said: “To anticipate the demand for ready-mixed concrete, we have implemented an aggressive growth plan worth SR320 million ($85.3 million) this year alone in all its areas of operation. In addition, Saudi Readymix has initiated a Saudi graduate recruitment programme and has plans to establish a state-of-the-art research and training centre which are both aimed at attracting the best and the brightest young Saudis.