Saudi Cement Sales Slide in December as Export Demand Weakens
Aggregate industry sales in the Kingdom edged lower year-on-year amid a notable drop in exports, reflecting shifting dynamics late in the construction cycle
Aggregate cement sales by Saudi Arabia’s seventeen producers declined in December 2025, slipping approximately two percent from the same month last year to around five point one four million tonnes.
The performance marked a modest contraction compared with December 2024, when total cement shipments — including domestic and export volumes — had reached about five point two three million tonnes, underscoring a slight cooling in sector activity at the end of the year.
Domestic cement volumes were broadly stable, with nine companies recording year-on-year growth in local dispatches, led by firms such as Umm Al-Qura Cement and Hail Cement.
However, eight producers registered lower domestic shipments, notably Northern Region Cement and Al Jouf Cement, which saw significant declines.
Export sales fell sharply, with combined shipments down nearly forty-seven percent year-on-year, as international demand softened and competitive pressures in regional markets intensified.
The cumulative result was a contraction in overall monthly sales figures, driven in large part by subdued export activity.
Clinker production — the precursor material for cement — also declined, reflecting lower throughput at kilns across several plants.
Despite the December downturn, the broader market through eleven months of 2025 had shown resilience, with cement dispatches up over eleven percent compared with the prior year, supported by sustained local demand linked to major infrastructure and property development projects under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic transformation agenda.
The domestic construction pipeline, including large-scale urban and transport projects, continues to underpin baseline cement requirements, even as near-term export markets exhibit volatility.
Industry observers note that the year-end dip in reported cement sales highlights the sector’s exposure to external market conditions and cyclical demand patterns, factors that producers may need to navigate carefully heading into 2026.
The performance marked a modest contraction compared with December 2024, when total cement shipments — including domestic and export volumes — had reached about five point two three million tonnes, underscoring a slight cooling in sector activity at the end of the year.
Domestic cement volumes were broadly stable, with nine companies recording year-on-year growth in local dispatches, led by firms such as Umm Al-Qura Cement and Hail Cement.
However, eight producers registered lower domestic shipments, notably Northern Region Cement and Al Jouf Cement, which saw significant declines.
Export sales fell sharply, with combined shipments down nearly forty-seven percent year-on-year, as international demand softened and competitive pressures in regional markets intensified.
The cumulative result was a contraction in overall monthly sales figures, driven in large part by subdued export activity.
Clinker production — the precursor material for cement — also declined, reflecting lower throughput at kilns across several plants.
Despite the December downturn, the broader market through eleven months of 2025 had shown resilience, with cement dispatches up over eleven percent compared with the prior year, supported by sustained local demand linked to major infrastructure and property development projects under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic transformation agenda.
The domestic construction pipeline, including large-scale urban and transport projects, continues to underpin baseline cement requirements, even as near-term export markets exhibit volatility.
Industry observers note that the year-end dip in reported cement sales highlights the sector’s exposure to external market conditions and cyclical demand patterns, factors that producers may need to navigate carefully heading into 2026.
