Cemtech Middle East & Africa gets underway in UAE

Cemtech Middle East & Africa 2018

Cemtech Middle East & Africa 2018 conference and exhibition has opened at the JW Marriott Marquis in Dubai, UAE, with delegates from over 30 nations gathering for this annual meeting of cement professionals.

Opening the meeting, Thomas Armstrong, managing editor of International Cement Review, observed how global overcapacity - which reached 2bnta in 2016 - is driving producers to become more competitive by smart investment in cost reducing technologies, optimisation initiatives and embracing alternative fuels and raw materials.

The first morning continued with a detailed overview of markets within the Middle East and Africa region. Hettish Karmani of U-Capital (Oman) focussed on the positive growth progress of the GCC in 2018, where economies are moving from austerity to expansion, which will benefit the construction sectors and cement consumption. Santhosh Balakrishnan, Riyad Capital (Saudi Arabia) offered an update on the Saudi cement industry which suffered from depressed demand in 2017, but has the opportunity for growth driven by the government’s US$55bn capex programme and pending mortgage market reform. HBS Global’s Syed Hasan analysed the supply and demand structure of the United Arab Emirates, which continues to suffer from overcapacity and relies on exports to sustain utilisation rates. Internally, the market has embraced blended cements, with volumes of cementitious materials reaching 3.67Mt in 2017.

Africa expert and former Dangote Cement CEO, Tony Hadley, considered the mergers, acquisitions and other corporate developments currently underway in Sub-Saharan Africa. Peter Hoddinott, a UK-based independent consultant, provided a look at marketing strategies for cement professionals, whilst assessing the high entry barriers of the industry.

Adib El Hachem, Cimenterie Nationale (Lebanon), discussed the plans for reconstruction and recovery in the Levant. Mr Hachem announced at the conference that the company plans to construct new capacity to serve the post-conflict markets of Syria and Iraq.

Speakers also presented from a technical perspective with Mathis Reichert of Loesche GmbH (Germany) looking at scaling up mills in manufacturing facilities with examples from Nigeria and Pakistan, and Christian Altherr highlighted how Gebr Pfeiffer successfully implemented two grinding units for coal grinding at the Ras Al Khaimah White Cement Company plant.

In addition to a comprehensive presentation programme, delegates had access to 26 exhibition stands which showcased a multitude of state-of-the-art developments in manufacturing technology.

Cemtech Middle East and Africa runs until 20 February, and continues to feature the latest cement industry advances while also examining the outlook and expectations of the sector.