Saudi cement producer, Eastern Province Cement Company (EPC), registered output of 2.698Mt of cement in 2003, compared to 2.461Mt in 2002, recent statistics showed. The company reported total sales of 2.677Mt, up from 2.459Mt. EPC exported 498,000t of cement, compared to 542,000t.

The combined cement output of the eight cement companies, operating in the Kingdom, stood at 24.1Mt, compared to 23.2Mt. EPC, based in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia, was established in 1982 as a joint stock company under the name Saudi-Kuwaiti Cement Company. The company changed its name to Eastern Province Cement Company in 1994 and is now wholly owned by Saudi investors.