The Saudi cement market showed resilience in domestic demand during last August, in contrast to a noticeable decline in export activity, amid continued geopolitical tensions that affected regional demand.
According to the monthly cement market data report issued by Al Yamamah Cement Company, domestic deliveries by the 17 cement companies operating in the Kingdom increased by 0.41 TP3T year-on-year during August, reaching approximately 4.5 million tons, compared to approximately 4.47 million tons during the same month last year. Conversely, production by these companies decreased by 0.31 TP3T during the month, registering approximately 4.5 million tons, compared to approximately 4.7 million tons in August of the previous year.
The biggest decline was in exports, which included cement and clinker, which fell by 19% to about 528 thousand tons during August, compared to about 653 thousand tons in the same month last year.
Performance has declined since the beginning of the year
For the first eight months of 2026, market data showed a decline in production, domestic sales, and export indicators compared to the same period last year. Total cement production fell by 2.21 TP3T during this period, reaching approximately 35.1 million tons, compared to 35.9 million tons during the first eight months of 2025.
Domestic cement sales also decreased by 2% to about 34 million tons, compared to about 34.7 million tons in the same period last year.
The decline extended to exports, which fell by 21% during the period, to about 4.2 million tons, compared to about 5.3 million tons in the first eight months of last year.
Local cement sales
At the company level, Al-Yamamah Cement Company maintained its sales leadership in the local market during the first eight months of the year, with total sales of approximately 5.5 million tons, representing 14% of total market sales.
Saudi Cement Company came in second place with sales estimated at about 4 million tons, with a share of 10% of total market sales, while Eastern Cement Company came in third place with sales estimated at about 2 million tons, representing 5% of total sales.
8 companies lead cement exports
In the export market, the number of Saudi exporting companies reached 8 out of a total of 17 companies operating in the market.
Saudi Cement Company topped the list of exporters with total exports of approximately 1.4 million tons during the first eight months of 2026, accounting for 34% of total cement exports during the period.
Yanbu Cement Company came in second place with exports of about 1.1 million tons, equivalent to 25% of total exports, while Southern Cement Company came in third place with an export quantity of 716 thousand tons, which constituted 17% of the market's exports.
Strong performance during 2025
The Saudi cement market ended 2025 on a positive note, with domestic sales for cement companies increasing by 11% compared to 2024, while production increased by 10.4%.
Exports also recorded growth of 19.7% during the year, as market indicators continued to improve for the second year in a row.
This performance was supported by increased domestic demand with the progress of major projects launched by the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, along with the activity witnessed in the real estate sector in the Kingdom, coinciding with increased regional demand for Saudi cement exports.
