Construction material prices up

Construction material prices jumped in July in Abu Dhabi – most notably cement prices, according to Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD) figures released on Saturday.

Average cement price rose 8.1 per cent while Al Etihad White Cement/UAE’s cement price increased 15.8 per cent per tonne during July 2011 compared to the previous month.

SCAD's report revealed that the average prices of several building materials groups have undergone various changes during July compared with June 2011, with the largest rise recorded in the average price of the "Aggregates & Sand" group, which climbed 17.7 percent in July 2011, as all items within this group registered price increases in the range of 11.1 - 23.1 per cent.

On the other hand the prices of "UPVC pipes" and "Paints" declined by 6.6 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively.

Compared to July last year, the "Aggregates & Sand" group prices showed the largest rise (52.8 per cent) compared to July 2011, followed by the prices of "Power cable", which shot up 44.7 per cent as a result of a sharp rise of 66.9 per cent in the price of "CU 132kv/ 1800mm". In addition, "Transport Equipment" rents advanced by 37.6 per cent and "Wires for Residential Towers" by 25.2 per cent.

In contrast, the prices of the "glass" group fell by 33.1 per cent as a result of a decrease in the price of "Glass/6mm/ Saudi Arabia" by 42.9 per cent and "Mirror Glass/4 mm Saudi Arabia" by 39.2 per cent.

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