摘要: |
There are clear winners and losers from rising fossil-fuel prices, with the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) region firmly residing in the former camp. Additional funds generated by oil producers across the region due to the sustained fossil-fuel price hike are largely being spent on various forms of construction, which, in turn, has pushed up demand for aggregates, such as gravel, concrete, sand, and crushed stone. The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries have taken the lead in the past year, announcing building projects worth billions of dollars. This is good news for growth-hungry global construction and materials processing equipment manufacturers. Two major events - the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and Expo 2020 in Dubai (the event was deferred by one year due to the Covid-19 pandemic) - gave a fillip to GCC construction activity. |