In February 2021, Persian Gulf-Arabian Sea FOB prices for Portland cement increased over 1 percent month-on-month, while clinker export prices rose almost 2 percent, according to the CW Research's Cement and Clinker Price Assessment for Med Basin and Persian Gulf-Arabian Sea & East Africa.

Robust growth on Iraq's construction sector, positively influenced by the country's reconstruction and rehabilitation program, with a total investment exceeding USD 94 billion over the coming decade, is expected to continue to drive cement demand in the country, according to the 2021 update of the Iraq Cement Market & Forecast Report.

CW export price index for gray cement is expected to continue to strengthen in the first quarter of 2021, increasing by over 5 percent year-on-year and almost 1 percent compared to the previous quarter, according to the 1Q2021 update of CW Research's Global Cement Trade Price Report.