Saudi-Algerian cement plant to be built

A joint Saudi-Algerian cement plant worth $200m will be set up in the wilayat of Galfa, south of the Algerian capital Algiers, the chairman of the Arab Cement Union, Prince Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saud, said on November 23, 2005.  The project will be carried out over a period of two years and will create some 500 jobs. The plant will have an annual output of 1.0Mt which will bring Algeria’s total cement output to 16Mta.  This is the second plant with Saudi investments in Algeria, bin Saud added. 

Algerian cement demand is estimated at some 15Mta. The country’s cement imports currently stand at US $39m per year and the figure is expected to drop to US$12m in 2007 due to the increasing local production.