Libyan Cement Company
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Native name | الشركة الليبية للأسمنت |
|---|---|
| Type | Joint Venture, FDI |
| Industry | Cement |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Libya |
Key people | Ahmed Gadalla (Chairman) |
| Products | Cement Ordinary Portland cement Sulphate-resistant cement Ready-mix concrete Gypsum Lime |
Number of employees | 1000+ |
| Website | www.lcc.ly |
Libyan Cement Company Inc. (Arabic: الشركة الليبية للأسمنت), known by its acronym LCC, is one of the largest cement manufacturers in Libya and the principal cement producer in the eastern region of the country. Headquartered in Benghazi, the company operates production facilities at Benghazi, Hawari and Al-Fataiah, with a combined output that supplies more than one third of national cement demand. Its product range includes ordinary Portland cement, sulphate-resistant cement, ready-mix concrete, gypsum and lime.
The company was established in 1972 and is among the oldest industrial enterprises in Libya, having played a significant role in supplying materials for the country's construction and infrastructure sectors for more than five decades. Over its history, the Libyan Cement Company has undergone several changes of ownership. In 2008, the Austrian Asamer Group, together with the Libyan government holding company ESDF (Economic and Social Development Fund), acquired a 90% stake in the company. In April 2015, Libya Holdings Group announced that it had acquired a majority stake from Asamer.[1]
In 2023, Alushibe Holding Group, a diversified Libyan holding group with operations spanning industrials, consumer goods, retail, healthcare, engineering and services, acquired a majority stake in the Libyan Cement Company. Following the acquisition, Eng. Ahmed Gadalla, the founder and chairman of Alushibe Holding Group, was appointed chairman of the company. The acquisition formed part of Alushibe Holding Group's expansion within Libya's industrial and construction-materials sector, LCC is currently undergoing major rehabilitation and investment to upgrade production and expand its market reach.
History
[edit]Founding and early production (1972–1980s)
[edit]The Libyan Cement Company began production in 1972 with a single factory in Benghazi, with an initial capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year of ordinary Portland cement. A second production line was commissioned in 1974, adding a further 400,000 tonnes per year of capacity, followed by a third line in 1977 with an additional 400,000-tonne capacity, which brought the company's total output to approximately one million tonnes per year.
The company expanded its operations through additional facilities in the surrounding region. The Hawari plant, established in 1964, had a capacity of one million tonnes per year; in 1987 its production lines were modified to produce sulphate-resistant cement. The El-Fataiah factory, located approximately 350 km east of Benghazi near Derna, was established in 1982 with two production lines and a capacity of one million tonnes per year of ordinary Portland cement. A dedicated cement-packaging facility, established in 1975, produces 200,000 bags per day.
Operational developments (2000s)
[edit]By 2007, the Benghazi plant was producing approximately 800,000 tonnes per year. The original 1972 factory subsequently halted production owing to maintenance problems.
Changes in ownership (2008–present)
[edit]In 2008, the Austrian Asamer Group, together with the Libyan government holding company ESDF (Economic and Social Development Fund), acquired a 90% stake in the Libyan Cement Company. In April 2015, Libya Holdings Group announced that it had acquired a majority stake in the company from Austria's QuadraCir Group, describing the investment as part of a long-term plan to support the rebuilding of Libya's infrastructure.[2]
In 2023, Alushibe Holding Group, a diversified Libyan holding group with operations spanning industrials, consumer goods, retail, healthcare, engineering and services, acquired a majority stake in the Libyan Cement Company. Following the acquisition, Eng. Ahmed Gadalla, the founder and chairman of Alushibe Holding Group, was appointed chairman of the company.
Under Alushibe Holding Group's ownership, the company announced plans to rehabilitate and expand its production facilities, with the stated aim of increasing total annual production capacity to approximately three million tonnes. The acquisition formed part of Alushibe Holding Group's expansion within Libya's industrial and construction-materials sector.
Operations
[edit]The Libyan Cement Company operates production facilities across the eastern region of Libya, with its main operations concentrated in and around Benghazi. The company maintains six production lines and supplies more than one third of Libyan cement demand.
Production facilities
[edit]The company's principal production sites are located at Benghazi, Hawari and Al-Fataiah. The Benghazi plant, the company's original facility, commenced operations in 1972 and produced approximately 800,000 tonnes per year as of 2007. The Hawari plant, established in 1964, has a capacity of one million tonnes per year and was adapted in 1987 to produce sulphate-resistant cement. The El-Fataiah factory, located approximately 350 km east of Benghazi near Derna, operates two production lines with a combined capacity of one million tonnes per year of ordinary Portland cement.
In addition to its cement plants, the company operates a dedicated packaging facility, established in 1975, which produces approximately 200,000 cement bags per day.
Products
[edit]The Libyan Cement Company produces a range of cement and construction materials, including ordinary Portland cement, sulphate-resistant cement, ready-mix concrete, gypsum and lime. Its products serve the construction and infrastructure sectors across Libya.
Leadership and corporate governance
[edit]Ahmed Gadalla
[edit]
Eng. Ahmed Gadalla also known as Ahmed Alushibe has served as Chairman of the Libyan Cement Company since its acquisition by Alushibe Holding Group in 2023.
Gadalla is the founder and chairman of Alushibe Holding Group, one of Libya's largest privately owned diversified groups, which he established in 2008. The group operates across six sectors, including industrials, consumer goods, retail, healthcare, engineering and services. He also serves as chairman of Tosyalı SULB, one of the world's largest producers of direct reduced iron (DRI). In 2024, Tosyalı SULB began investment in a DRI complex in Benghazi described as the world's largest, with a planned annual production capacity of approximately 8.1 million tonnes.[3] Through these roles, Ahmed Gadalla holds a prominent position in Libya's industrial and construction-materials sectors.
Ahmed Gadalla holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Garyounis, now the University of Benghazi. He subsequently undertook preparatory studies at Indiana University Southeast in the United States, completed an Extended Diploma in International Business - Strategy at SCQF Level 11, awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, and participated in the Certified Manager Programme of the Chartered Management Institute. In 2025, he completed a Master of Business Administration at International Business University in Toronto, Canada.
Under Gadalla's chairmanship, the Libyan Cement Company announced plans to rehabilitate and expand its production facilities, with the stated aim of increasing total annual production capacity to approximately three million tonnes.
References
[edit]- ^ "Gulf investors, Libyan firm buy largest eastern Libyan cement maker". Retrieved 2017-08-23.
- ^ "Gulf investors, Libyan firm buy largest eastern Libyan cement maker". Retrieved 2017-08-23.
- ^ "Tosyalı SULB started the investment of the world's largest DRI complex in Benghazi, Libya". Tosyalı Holding. Tosyalı Holding. 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2026.