Al Wusta Cement appoints chairman, deputy chairman

Muscat: Al Wusta Cement Company has appointed Dr. Abdullah Abbas Ahmed as chairman and Ahmed bin Yousuf bin Alwai Al Ibrahim as vice-chairman for the newly formed company.
The officials were nominated at a meeting of the representatives of two joint venture partners—Raysut Cement Company and Oman Cement Company—according to a disclosure statement posted on the Muscat Securities Market website.
Al Wusta Cement Company had earlier said that the construction work for the project will start in 2018, while the actual production is expected to commence in 2020.
According to a feasibility study conducted by Al Wusta Cement, there are two options for installed capacity: either 5,000 tonnes per day or 10,000 tonnes per day. The first option for 5,000 tonnes per day will provide 389 jobs, while the second option will create 408 employment opportunities.
A land lease agreement for building a large cement plant in Duqm with a capital expenditure of OMR225 million was signed by the Special Economic Zone Authority of Duqm (Sezad) with Al Wusta Cement Company LLC.
Al Wusta Cement Company has received the right for 500,000 square metres of land within the industrial area in Duqm for 50 years to set up the project. The land lease agreement is renewable.
The company’s production will also meet demand for cement in the country, especially from the Al Wusta region. Plans are also afoot to export excess production to other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Al Wusta Cement Company is the third cement firm in the Sultanate after Raysut Cement Company and Oman Cement Company. Oman Cement Company has an installed capacity to produce 2.3 million tonnes of cement, while Raysut Cement Company’s combined capacity is around 3.7 million tonnes of cement—2.3 million tonnes plant in Salalah and 1.4 million tonnes in Ras Al Khaima.