Competitiveness Program drives 9% drop in cement production costs: Official

Turki Al-Babtain, Deputy Minister for Mining Development at the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources

Turki Al-Babtain, Deputy Minister for Mining Development at the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, said cement companies in Saudi Arabia have benefited from the Industrial Sector Competitiveness Program in terms of energy efficiency, contributing to a 9% drop in production costs.

Speaking to Asharq News, Al-Babtain added that the national liquid fuel displacement program aims to replace more than 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in the industrial sector, pointing out that savings in the cement sector account for around 30% of this total.

There are myriad opportunities available for the local cement sector to tap. However, it faces major challenges, most notably surplus output capacity both locally and globally. This is in addition to the trend towards transitioning to more efficient energy sources and reducing carbon emissions, he added.