Private Saudi company Riyadh Cement Co said on Tuesday it had awarded a contract to China’s Sinoma International Engineering Co to double its cement production capacity by the end of 2009.

Sinoma, which has already built the Saudi firm’s existing production line, will add a second line to double Riyadh Cement’s annual cement production capacity to 4Mt the Saudi firm said in an emailed statement.

Riyadh Cement started commercial production in the third quarter of 2007 after spending SAR1.15bns (US$306.7m) to build the plant, located in the outskirts of the Saudi capital.