Syria is increasingly relying on Iraq and other regional suppliers to keep its cement industry operating as severe fuel shortages continue to disrupt local production, a senior official confirmed. Mahmoud Fadila, head of the General Company for Cement and Building Materials, told state news agency SANA that dwindling fuel oil supplies have forced factories to shift temporarily to coal-fired systems while importing clinker from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye to maintain domestic supply.
In a significant move to boost output, Damascus has approved a major Iraqi investment aimed at revitalising one of the country’s key plants. In October, the Ministry of Economy and Industry signed an agreement with Iraq’s Vertex Group to rehabilitate and expand the Hama Cement plant’s third production line. The upgrade increases capacity from 3,300 to 5,000tpd and adds a new 6000t line, raising the plant’s future output to roughly 11,000tpd, according to Shafaq News.
Syria currently produces about 10,00tpd of cement,around 3.6Mta, far short of the estimated 8–9Mt required each year for reconstruction. Officials say imports and foreign investment will remain essential to narrowing the supply gap.
