As Qatar’s construction sector still faces supply problems, Qatar’s top cement producer Qatar National Cement Co (QNCC) intends to make available some 2Mt of cement in the local market this year. Besides boosting its cement output, QNCC is also ordering for fresh imports as Qatar’s construction boom has already tilted the demand-supply balance.
QNCC expects to get some 60 incoming shipments by December, an industry source told Gulf Times on Thursday. Large ships that can carry up to 21,000t of cement and smaller vessels that can load up to about 5000t will call on the Qatari ports this year.
“Some of the suppliers in India and the Middle East have agreed to dispatch up to two cargoes a month. We can seek more cargoes, especially cement bags if the demand shoots up further,” the source said. About 20 per cent of the cement being imported are in the form of bags.
Currently, QNCC imports both ordinary portland and sulphate-resistant cement. The industry source said the demand for cement bags, mostly from retailers, had gone up by about 20 per cent in 2004 compared with 2003. Already, this year, demand has shot up by 30 per cent, the source added.
