The building materials sector serves as both a barometer of the wider health of the construction industry and as a critical factor in the bottom line of local contractors. As with the industry in general, sub-sectors such as cement have entered a period of uncertainty. While the government’s extensive development programme has buoyed cement...
As the largest member of the GCC and blessed with considerable hydrocarbons reserves, it is not hard to see why Saudi Arabia is often touted as the next big construction market in the region. Despite operating challenges and associated risks, the government’s decision to push forward with an ambitious development agenda has alerted numerous...
While competitive bid prices are putting pressure on margins, contractors in Saudi Arabia are now feeling the effects of new labour regulations on operations and costs. Since the government concluded an amnesty for illegal expatriate workers and began clamping down on illegal labour in November 2013, contractors have been having a more...
Despite the recent fall in oil prices, Saudi Arabia’s government is pushing ahead with its ambitious development agenda. The outlook is thus bright for the Kingdom’s construction firms, with projects planned under government’s 10th Development Plan including investments worth $258.2bn in real estate; $151.5bn in petrochemicals; and $126.7bn in electricity, gas and water. Indeed, in the short...
The accession of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in January 2015 was the start of a new chapter for the Kingdom, and with the fall in global oil prices and continued regional turbulence there are undoubtedly challenges to be met. However, domestic stability, combined with the government’s commitment to major development projects and sustained focus on economic diversification, indicate a positive overall outlook for the country moving forward.
The 1.7m-unit housing deficit in Ghana is again in the spotlight, with a national housing policy released earlier this year and moves on the part of the private sector to address pent-up demand.
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