MUSCAT: There is no change in cement prices despite the challenging demands of the local, Oman Cement Company (OCC) said.

Dr. Hilal bin Saif Al-Dhamri, Director General of Manufacturing at Oman Cement Company, confirmed that there is no impact on production. “Business is normal at OCC,” he said. According to Al Dhamri, the cement production rose at an accelerating pace in the first quarter of 2022, “as the daily production capacity of the factory is estimated at about 10,000 tons of cement, and today the daily production capacity of the factory reached between 13,000 and 15,000 tons of cement and this is above the design capacity of the factory,” he explained.

Regarding the rise in cement prices in the local market, Al Dhamri had this to say: “The cement prices for bagged cement are still the same as before, and they have not been raised by the company. Despite some challenges that the company had witnessed during the past four years, such as an increase in gas prices and an increase in energy and raw materials. However, Oman Cement Company adhered to its objectives, which was one of its priorities to provide cement to the citizen at the right quality and price.”

On the issue of cement shortage in the local market, Al-Dhamri pointed out that the cement industry depends on the production of clinker. “One of these factories is facing a problem with cement production. This is due to the lack of clinker that is imported from abroad, which led to a significant shortage of cement in the market,” he pointed out.

“This particular factory produces about 4,000 tons of cement per day, which is a large amount that caused a shortage in the local market, and it led to a significant increase in demand for Oman Cement Company,” he added.