Mali is preparing to launch a new cement plant within weeks.

Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:

Mali's Minister of Industry and Trade, Moussa Hassan DialloWork is progressing at the new «Atlas Cement» plant in the Katy-Gary area, in order to finalize the project before the start of operation and production, which is scheduled for next month.

The field visit, attended by a number of senior ministry officials, along with administrative and political officials in the Kati region, was part of monitoring strategic industrial projects aimed at enhancing local production and supporting the national economy.

Three years have passed since the foundation stone was laid.

This phase comes three years after the foundation stone for the factory was laid by the head of the transitional phase in Mali, General Assimi Goïta, with the completion of construction and installation work, making the project ready to start operations.

During the visit, project officials explained that the «Atlas Cement» plant represents a national investment worth 30 billion African francs and is wholly owned by Malian investors, in a move that reflects the country’s direction towards strengthening national investments in the industrial sector.

The plant is planned to have an initial production capacity of 500,000 tons of cement per year, with a plan to gradually increase it to 2.5 million tons per year within two years, which will contribute to meeting the needs of the local market, supporting infrastructure projects, and reducing dependence on imports.

The official opening ceremony of the fourth edition of Digital Week has been postponed.

In another context, the Ministry of Communications, Digital Economy and Administrative Modernization in Mali announced the postponement of the official opening ceremony of the fourth session of «Digital Week», which was scheduled to be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, coinciding with the official visit of Senegalese President Bassirou Djouma Diarra Faye to the capital Bamako on the same day.

The ministry explained in an official statement that the opening ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at 10:00 AM, coinciding with the closing ceremony of the session, at the Bamako International Conference Center.

The ministry confirmed that the program of artistic and scientific events will not be affected by the postponement decision, noting that the discussion sessions and workshops will start as scheduled on Wednesday morning, July 29, 2026, at nine o'clock, according to the approved timetable.

She added that the rest of the events and program of the fourth edition of «Digital Week» will take place without any modifications, calling on participants and guests to adhere to the specified dates for the various activities.