Ministry of Commerce measures to resolve the supply crisis in the domestic cement industry appear to have backfired. By limiting cement sales to those in possession of building permits, the ministry has created a black market in cement, especially in Makkah and Jeddah.
According to a local newspaper, black marketers are presenting more than 10 permits daily to the ministry in Makkah. The permits allegedly belong to contractors who are licensed to buy one bag of cement for SR 14.5 and resell it for SR 18. There are reports, however, that a bag of cement can fetch as much as SR 23 when demand is high and lines are long to supply Makkah construction sites.
A representative of the Makkah branch of the Ministry of Commerce said that the ministry had taken steps to resolve the imbalance in supply and demand, contracting with a trucking company to use its 300 trucks to transport cement directly from the factory to the distribution centers. This would sidestep black market middlemen and break their monopoly on the product and prices.
Most observers, however, dismissed any ministry claims about solving the problem, saying that as long as demand exceeds supply, the current situation will perpetuate itself.
“The Ministry is incapable of providing a successful solution to the problem,” said Abdullah Al-Salem.
In Jeddah, the price of a bag of cement on the black market spiked to SR 25 recently in reaction to high demand. The ministry allowed 20,000 bags of cement to be distributed in Jeddah last week but has designated a new contractor who has guaranteed to deliver 30,000 bags daily for Jeddah only, correcting any shortage and rationale for high prices.
Enforcement efforts have also been stepped up, resulting in a number of black marketers forced to sell their bags at the mandated price of SR 14.5.
Bader Al-Asmary, another cement consumer, said: “The worst thing about this crisis is pursuing the places where cement is found, and the long queues for taking your quota, only to find, in the end, that your quota isn’t enough to finish the job.”
According to Al-Asmary, the blame for the crisis falls on the cement plants and the black marketers.
Ministry of Commerce blamed for creating cement black market
Ministry of Commerce blamed for creating cement black market
Critically ill Saudi citizen evacuated from Budapest
- A Saudi citizen has also gone missing in Egypt and security services are looking for him, embassy says
RIYADH: A Saudi citizen was evacuated from Budapest and flown back to the Kingdom after he became critically ill, Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Hungary reported on Thursday.
The evacuation was organized in coordination with the Ministry of Health and under the supervision of the Kingdom’s envoy to Hungary Majed bin Abdulaziz Al-Abdan.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom’s embassy in Cairo issued a statement on Thursday regarding the disappearance of Saudi citizen Hattan bin Ghazi Shata.
The embassy confirmed Egyptian security services continue to search for Shata in coordination with his family, and that the embassy is following his case closely.
Saudi foreign minister praises China’s support for Gaza ceasefire efforts
- Prince Faisal reiterated calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an uninterrupted flow of aid into the enclave
BEIJING: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Thursday praised China’s support for efforts to end the war on Gaza and push for the two-state solution.
In his address at the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing, Prince Faisal reiterated calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an uninterrupted flow of aid into the enclave.
He called for deeper cooperation to establish a reliable and irreversible path to the two-state solution, noting that constant dialogue is crucial for achieving regional peace.
He rejected foreign interference in the Middle East and called for efforts to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction in the region.
China hosted a summit on Thursday focusing on the Israel-Hamas war in which Chinese President Xi Jinping promised more humanitarian aid in Gaza and called for an international peace conference.
The summit, attended by heads of state from Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain and Tunisia among others, was set to address China’s expanding trade ties and security concerns related to the Israel-Hamas war.
KSrelief extends training, water, health projects in Yemen
RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief is extending its training, food and health projects for vulnerable people in Yemen, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
In Taiz and the Hadramout governorate, the agency launched a life-skills program for orphans and women, which including sewing, managing businesses, and maintaining mobile phones.
In Aden, KSrelief concluded a training program on community cohesion in cooperation with the UN Development Programme, covering peace committees, conflict resolution and mediation.
In addition, the aid agency distributed 634 food parcels to 4,438 individuals in Aden.
In Hodeidah, 2,600 personal hygiene bags were delivered to displaced people in the Al-Jisha and Bani Jaber camps.
KSrelief also signed a deal with a civil society organization in Taiz to dig a well in the area that would benefit 3,150 individuals.
In Socotra governorate, KSrelief signed a pact with a civil society organization to construct a tank that would supply clean water to villages.
Saudi Railways announces increased seating capacity of Haramain High-Speed Train for Hajj season
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia Railways on Wednesday announced the readiness of the Haramain High-Speed Railway to receive pilgrims for this year’s Hajj season and said it has increased the number of available seats by about 100,000.
SAR revealed its operational plan for the season at its five stations linking Makkah to Madinah, bringing the total number of seats to 1.6 million, up from more than a 1.3 million seating capacity last year, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The 453-kilometer railway passes through the main Jeddah station in the Sulaymaniyah district, King Abdulaziz Airport station in Jeddah, and King Abdullah Economic City.
“This expansion also considers the addition of more than 430 new trips to last year’s trips, raising the number of trips scheduled in the operational plan for this year to more than 3,800” from May 9 to June 25, while the numbers of trips on peak days will be 126, SPA said.
The Haramain High-Speed Railway train ranks among the 10 fastest electric trains globally. It reaches 300 km per hour, and operates a fleet of 35 trains, with a capacity of 417 seats per train. It functions based on an environment-friendly system and zero carbon emissions, and plays an important role in preserving roads’ infrastructure by reducing road traffic.
Islamic Ministry unites volunteers to serve pilgrims
- The initiative is part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to promote a culture of volunteering within communities
MAKKAH: Almost 5,000 people are set to volunteer for programs launched by the Makkah arm of the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
The branch has launched 247 opportunities via its volunteering platform to coincide with the start of the Hajj season. These include distributing more than 235,000 water bottles at 3,850 mosques, providing umbrellas to pilgrims for protection against the sun, distributing booklets and providing meals.
The initiative is part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to promote a culture of volunteering within communities.
Earlier, the Presidency of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque launched its operational plan for Hajj, promoting voluntary and humanitarian work.
It recognizes the Two Holy Mosques as attractive environments for such efforts, based on religious and Saudi values that highlight the importance of generosity and hospitality.
