Some traders are again hoarding cement to raise prices, it has been discovered by Okaz/Saudi Gazette. They are doing this by parking loaded cement trucks in deserted areas, from where they sell bags for SR21 each. Okaz/Saudi Gazette recently followed some expatriates and found that they had hidden a cement truck in a deserted area in east Jeddah. They only sold cement to their fellow nationals at SR21 a bag. Citizens, who were also present at the location, asked the expatriates to sell them cement at normal prices or they would call the police. The expatriates disappeared after these threats and the owner of the truck then appeared after a few minutes. He insisted on charging SR21 a bag. The authorities had the truck owner sign an undertaking that he would not hide cement again nor charge such prices. The Okaz/Saudi Gazette reporter tried to bargain with the owner of the truck for 100 cement bags but he said that he was sold out. Ahmad Al-Zahrani, a citizen, said: “I noticed scores of cement trucks coming to this abandoned place to sell cement. They asked SR22 a bag but some buyers and I threatened to call the police. We did call the police and the expatriates ran away. The owner of the truck then arrived.” The bags were sold in less than 15 minutes, which indicates that there is a shortage of cement on the market, Al-Zahrani pointed out. Salem Bin Ahmad, who lives in the area, said he saw the trucks arrive there to hide cement. __
