Vietnam: Vietnam exported 3.18Mt of cement and clinker worth US$120m in July 2026, up by 5% in volume year-on-year, according to the latest figures from the government’s National Statistics Office. In the first seven months of 2026, Vietnam exported 22.5Mt of cement and clinker, up by 14% year-on-year.
Saudi Arabia: Qassim Cement has signed an agreement with the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF) to secure US$105m of funding for the construction of a fourth production line at its plant in the Buraydah region. The funding will help replace certain production lines and boost its capacity to 10,000t/day, according to a stock exchange filing.
The financing is for a nine-year period, including a two-year grace period, with a repayment schedule over 7 years.
In 2025, Qassim Cement awarded a US$298m contract to China-based Sinoma to set up the fourth cement production line at its Buraydah plant. Under this, Sinoma will provide complete EPC services for the production line.
Pakistan: Gharibwal Cement has halted clinker production after its kiln induced draught (ID) fan was damaged during operation, the company disclosed to the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The company said it has initiated repair and that a replacement fan and parts have been ordered, with shipment expected in September 2026. Normal operations will be resumed as soon as possible. The plant has a capacity has of 7500t/day of cement.
UAE: Holcim UAE and carbon storage developer 44.01 have launched what they call the UAE’s first continuous, live-condition carbon capture and underground mineralisation project for the cement sector in Fujairah. Following its initial commissioning, the facility has been operational since mid-July 2026, capturing between 4-4.5t/day of CO2 directly from the flue gas stream of Holcim’s cement plant. The captured carbon is transported to 44.01’s nearby storage site and injected underground into Fujairah’s rock formations. The injected CO2 reacts with the surrounding rock, turning into solid carbonate minerals.
Over the next six months, project partners will gather real-time performance data under industrial conditions to evaluate the feasibility of deploying larger-scale mineralisation infrastructure across the UAE and global markets.
