Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) may have the world’s largest and vast deserts, but these countries are importing huge amounts of sand for their big construction projects. This may sound strange, but the reality is that these countries are importing millions of tons of sand and soil from other countries every year. According to the latest data for 2026, Saudi Arabia and Dubai are not able to use local desert sand for their skyscrapers.
ℹ️: Big change at Ahmedabad Airport, Air India’s domestic flights will fly from T2 from March 29.
Why is desert sand bad for buildings?
Often this question comes in people’s mind that when there is sand all around, then why does it have to be imported from outside. Geologists and experts say that desert sand becomes round and smooth when blown by the wind. It is like a stone or marble which does not stick together.
Making strong concrete requires rough and angular sand, which is often found in river beds or by crushing mountains. This coarse sand ‘interlocks’ with the cement and gives strength to the structure. This is the reason why special sand is procured from Australia and other countries for projects like Burj Khalifa and NEOM.
Sand prices and new strict rules in Saudi Arabia
The January 2026 report shows that the average price of ‘Mixed Sand’ in Saudi Arabia has increased to 52.39 Riyal (SAR) per cubic meter. The demand is very high due to the ongoing construction works under Vision 2030. In 2024 alone, Saudi’s construction sand market was more than 163 million tonnes.
Now the rules have also changed for traders and importers. The SABER system has been made completely mandatory in Saudi Arabia from 1 October 2025. Now it is necessary to have a digital ‘shipment certificate’ for the import of any kind of sand or construction material. Apart from this, SASO has implemented new custom codes, under which PCoC and SCoC certificates will have to be shown for every batch. Now no company can order goods only on its own declaration.
Important market figures and future demand
Sand consumption is going to increase further due to the ongoing mega projects in Saudi Arabia and UAE. The UAE alone imported more than 6 million tonnes of sand in 2023. The recent situation can be seen in the table below:
Description (Category) Statistics (Stats) Sand price in Saudi Arabia (Jan 2026) 52.39 Riyal (SAR) per cubic meter Saudi Sand Market Volume (2024) 163.97 million metric tons Sand import by UAE (2023) More than 6 million tons Main Suppliers Australia, China, Belgium, India