The Riyadh Cement Company (RCC) has signed an agreement with China's Sinoma International for the construction of an SR1.035 billion cement plant which is to be commissioned within 26 months. The accord was signed by RCC Chairman Prince Faisal bin Abdul Majeed and Sinoma Chief Executive Officer Wang Wei, according to a press statement published today. The cement factory which will be located in Muzamiyah, 80 kms from the capital, is expected to produce 5,000 tons of clinker cement per day. Demand for cement is now high in Saudi Arabia with the government spending heavily on new infrastructure projects including roads, schools and other buildings. RCC will be the ninth cement company in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia produces 22 million tons of cement out of the 25 million needed to cater for the rising needs of the construction industry. Domestic consumption of Portland cement has grown by 11.6 percent a year since 2000, reaching around 25 million tons in 2004.
