Cemtech MEA 2016 from International Cement Review

The Cemtech Middle East & Africa Conference & Exhibition successfully took place at the Grand Hyatt Dubai, UAE, on 7-10 February 2016, commencing celebrations for Cemtech’s 25th anniversary year.

Cemtech MEA 2016 attracts a record 290

cement professionals from 35 countries

Onne Van der Weijde, CEO of

Dangote Cement, delivers the

keynote presentation

The latest edition of this prestigious annual meeting attracted a record 290 cement professionals from 35 countries, all gathering for three days of discussions dedicated to recent cement industry developments in the Middle East and Africa.

Proceedings officially got underway in the presence of Guest of Honour, His Excellency Sheikh Yasir Al Qassemi, General Manager of Union Cement Company and Chairman of the UAE Cement Producers’ Association, alongside senior industry figures including Ahmad Al Rousan, General Secretary, Arab Union for Cement and Building Materials (Syria).

The keynote presentation was delivered by Onne Van der Weijde, CEO of Dangote Cement, Nigeria’s largest cement producer. Speaker contributions also came from cement producers based in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Nigeria, Rwanda and Pakistan.

Talks also included including the latest market reports and technical operational excellence and best practice, sustainable production techniques, the latest innovations in optimising plant performance and alternative fuel know-how.

A large technical exhibition featured leading

equipment and engineering suppliers

to the global cement industry

Networking and hospitality
The two-day conference programme was accompanied by a large technical exhibition featuring leading equipment and engineering service providers, including Fives Group (France), Loesche GmbH (Germany), Magnesita (Brazil) and many more.

As always, exceptional hospitality – one of the hallmarks of the Cemtech experience – prevailed throughout. Complimentary sightseeing tours were offered for accompanying partners, while lunches, evening receptions and the renowned Gala Dinner marked the perfect start to celebrations for Cemtech Conferences' 25th anniversary year.

A tour of National Cement Co's integrated plant

in Dubai also formed part of technical proceedings

The extended technical programme included a visit to National Cement Company PSC's integrated works in Dubai. With a production capacity in excess of 2Mta, the technical plant tour gave delegates a fascinating insight into the plant and its role in the UAE cement production base.

Full conference report
A full Cemtech MEA 2016 conference report will feature in a forthcoming issue of International Cement Review. In the mean time, photo highlights of the event are available to download.