Egypt’s cement consumption expected to fall to 45Mt in 2024

Cement consumption in Egypt is expected to decline to 45Mt this year, compared to 47Mt in 2023, according to Ahmed Shireen, head of the Federation of Egyptian Industries' (FEI) cement division.

In relation to this, multiple local contracting firms have temporarily suspended projects over the last two weeks. This suspension comes as a result of a decline in cement supply to their respective sites, according to official representatives from the firms. The officials attributed the cement shortage to a decrease in the number of trucks available to transport cement from production facilities to project sites.  Mr Shireen said that local cement facilities could produce as much as 92Mta.

In addition to this, cement exports to Libya and neighbouring markets led to fewer domestic dispatches, as trucks took a long time to return to Egypt. Mr Shireen noted that the country could expect to export 15Mt of cement to other countries in 2024.

On 20 August, it was reported that cement prices in Egypt rose by 20 per cent since 1 August, after cement producers cut their production.