Kenya: Mamba Cement plans to build a 180t/day grinding and blending plant in Awasi. The US$460,000 unit will market cement in the west of the country, according to the Business Daily newspaper. Rai Cement also operates a cement plant nearby. /Global Cement

India: The India Cements has entered into an energy supply and share subscription agreement to acquire 3.6% of equity shares of Zenataris Renewable Energy, a company engaged in generation and transmission of renewable energy. The price is an equity investment of approximately US$2.1m and the agreement will complete within 120 days of its execution. Zenataris is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) established for the development and operation of the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) hybrid renewable energy project at Kudligi, Vijayanagara District, Karnataka. The SPV will supply 11MW of captive renewable energy to The India Cements’ cement plants locally. /Global Cement

Ghana: Dzata Cement marked five years in Tema, Ghana, with CEO Ibrahim Mahama setting a target of 3Mt/yr of cement produced by the company. Its plant, which is reportedly Ghana’s only wholly locally-owned cement producer, sits on a 10-acre site near Tema Port and represents an investment of more than US$100m. It employs equipment from Haver & Boecker and can produce about 80,000 bags of cement per day. It currently has a production capacity of 2Mt/yr. Plant manager Abderrahim Ouahab said that the company plans to add new cement grades and a 25kg bag alongside its 50kg bag. It will also install a 300t/hr bag receiver, expand storage to 40,000t and build an automated packing plant with a capacity of 6000t/day. /Global Cement

Pakistan: Domestic cement despatches registered an increase of 7% in September 2026, reaching 3.78Mt compared to 3.52Mt in the corresponding month of the previous year. According to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association, however, exports were flat at 0.83Mt. Total cement despatches during September 2026 were 4.62Mt against 4.36Mt despatched during the same month of the last year, showing an increase of 6% year-on-year. During the first quarter of the current financial year, which began in July 2026, total cement despatches were 13.1Mt, 4% higher year-on-year than the 12.6Mt despatched during the corresponding period of last year. Domestic despatches during this period were 10.8Mt, showing an increase of 8%. Exports were 2.3Mt, down by 11%. A spokesman of the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association expressed concerns over the decline in exports and the continued instability in energy prices. He was optimistic that the geopolitical tensions will be resolved soon, enabling cement and allied industries to come out of this difficult situation, according to The Business Recorder. /Global Cement

Armenia: The temporary ban on cement imports to Armenia will be lifted, according to a decision made at a government meeting on 1 October 2026. The restriction was originally imposed for six months, from 23 July 2026 to 23 January 2027. At the same time, cement imports were regulated by licensing and a state duty of US$22/t. The government said that due to logistical problems, cement imports have become more expensive, and delivery times have increased. The current restrictions have reportedly affected the balance of supply and demand and created an ‘unequal playing field’ for product sales. The government hopes that lifting the ban will help balance the market and ensure the necessary supplies. /Global Cement

India: The government has approved allotment of 101 hectares to Dalmia Cement (Bharat) for expanding its integrated cement plant at Chinnakommerla, raising the proposed cement capacity to 9.60Mt/yr. The government amended its earlier approval issued in March 2025, raising the proposed capacity from 7.23Mt/yr to 9.60Mt/yr. The revised implementation schedule envisages construction from July 2026 to December 2027, machinery erection between November 2026 and November 2027, and trial production during November to December 2027. Commercial production is targeted from January 2028. /Global Cement

Saudi Arabia: Southern Province Cement announced that it has partially accepted and handed over a new production line at its Jazan cement plant, thereby marking another step toward completion of its project to replace the plant s existing production lines. This follows the completion of most construction phases and the start of trial operations for certain production stages, according to the company in its filing to the Saudi bourse Tadawul. The new line is expected to be completed and enter production by the end of 2026. The company had previously announced the latest developments on the project in December 2025, including the completion of most construction phases and the start of trial operations for certain production stages. Sinoma International Engineering was awarded the contract for the project in 2023. /Global Cement

Azerbaijan: The total value of Azerbaijan s construction materials sector amounted to US$591m in January-August 2026, a rise of 9.0% compared with the same period of 2025. According to the State Statistics Committee, cement production grew by 6.5% over the first eight months, while lime production rose by 78.7%. As of 1 September 2026, companies held 513,500t of marketable clinker and 243,800t of finished cement in warehouses. /Global Cement

Croatia: Non-hazardous waste will be sent to cement plants belonging to Holcim Hrvatska and Nexe at a cost of €357,500, according to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. The waste is being stored at the PPK Velebit site in Gospić. It consists of plastic, tyres and other waste, which will be used in by the cement producers as alternative fuel. The work is deemed urgent and will be completed within 45 days. Tabak Grupa reportedly bid for the waste, but later withdrew from the contract. /Global Cement

Oman: Raysut Cement Group has reported a net profit after tax of US$7m for the first half of 2026, compared to losses of US$7.4m during the same period of 2025. This turnaround was reportedly supported by higher sales volumes and increased operational efficiency. The group has a regional distribution and export network with a production capacity of approximately 3.47Mt/yr of clinker and 5.70Mt/yr of cement. Salim Abdul Qader, CEO of Raysut Cement, said that the company succeeded in returning to profitability during the first half of 2026 for the first time in six years. /Global Cement

Pakistan: Cement despatches declined by 0.7% in August 2026 to 4.04Mt, against 4.07Mt despatched during August 2025. According to the data released by All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association, local cement despatches by the industry in August 2026 were 3.28Mt compared to 3.32Mt in August 2025, showing a decline of 1%. Exports marginally increased by 0.92% from 0.75Mt in August 2025 to 0.76Mt in August 2026. A spokesman of All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association expressed ‘grave concerns’ over the ‘alarming’ situation in northern areas of the country due to heavy rains, according to the Business Recorder. /Global Cement

Iraq: The Iraq-based Al-Qaim Cement plant has reportedly reached its full production capacity of 0.84Mt/yr and has begun to increase exports to Syria, according to Iraqi News which cited an announcement by the Ministry of Industry and Minerals. The plant produces 70,000t/month of sulphate-resistant cement and exports 7500t of that to Syria. The plant is powered by a 30MW power station, decreasing its reliance on the national grid and eliminating interruptions to production. It launched its first cement exports to Syria through the Al-Waleed border crossing in May 2026. /Global Cement

Afghanistan: Nabiullah Arghandiwal, spokesperson for the National Development Corporation, said that the plant s cement output has increased to 700t/day, from just 150t/day in 2025, according to Bakhtar News Agency. Arghandiwal said that the cement produced is being used in several infrastructure projects across the country. He said that Units 1 and 2 are currently operational, while construction of Unit 3 is progressing on schedule. Once completed, the plant s total production capacity is set to reach 5000t/day./Global Cement

Ethiopia: The Africa Dialogue on Cement for Green Industrialisation concluded with a call to accelerate practical action on low-carbon cement and concrete as Africa enters a period of urban growth and infrastructure development. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Industry of Ethiopia and jointly organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation s (UNIDO) Net Zero Partnership for Industrial Decarbonisation, together with the GCCA and other organisations. It brought together more than 110 participants from 39 countries, including cement producers, government representatives, industry associations, research institutions and others. UNIDO said that around 80% of Africa s 2050 building stock is yet to be constructed and the continent s cement production is therefore expected to increase significantly in the coming decades. The event focused on solutions that are already available and can be scaled, including reducing the clinker content of cement through supplementary cementitious materials and calcined clay cement, increasing the use of alternative fuels and improving material efficiency. Participants visited Habesha Cement plant on the first day. Stephen Kargbo, director of the UNIDO sub-regional office and representative to Ethiopia, the African Union and UNECA, said “Every bag of cement we choose today is a vote for the kind of Africa we will live in tomorrow. The decisions we make today will lock in emissions for the next half century. If we embed low-carbon norms now, Africa can industrialise sustainably, attract green investment and equip its youth with the skills to lead tomorrow s construction sector. /Global Cement

Afghanistan: Construction work on the second phase of the Jabal Saraj cement plant in central Parwan province began on 9 July 2026. The plant will have a production capacity of 1.8Mt/yr of cement, according to Amu news. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, the governor of Parwan and other officials. Abdul Salam Hanafi said "If this plant is completed successfully, we hope it will meet the country s domestic demand for cement and may even create the capacity to export cement to other countries." Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi said increased domestic production would help lower cement prices and contribute to greater stability in Afghanistan s construction sector. All financial and technical aspects of the project are reportedly being funded and implemented by state-run company National Development Corporation. According to the company, all stages of production, including clinker production, will be carried out at the plant. The plant began operations in 1958, but has been marked by repeated shutdowns due to conflict, aging machinery and weak infrastructure. In 2018, the former government s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum announced plans to put the construction of a second phase out to tender. At the time, the investment was expected to be US$170m, with a capacity of 1Mt/yr of cement, but this was not completed before the collapse of the government in August 2021. In 2023, a contract for the first phase of the project was signed with a Qatar-based company for a reported investment of US$220m. Officials have not explained how the newly announced second phase relates operationally or financially to the earlier agreement. It has also not been disclosed whether the 5000t/day capacity refers to the second phase or to the projected capacity of the expanded plant. /Global Cement