When to specify OPC, sulphate resisting cement or white cement in the UAE and Saudi Arabia: the chemistry, the standard names, why SRC alone does not stop chloride corrosion, and where white cement fits.
Use ordinary Portland cement (OPC: CEM I or ASTM C150 Type I) for general concrete, sulphate resisting cement (SRC: CEM I-SR or ASTM C150 Type V) where the soil or groundwater report shows sulphates, and white Portland cement where colour matters. In the Gulf, SRC protects against sulphate attack, not chloride corrosion, so buried concrete usually also needs slag or fly ash. Compare Portland cement suppliers in the UAE or in Saudi Arabia once you know the type.
This comparison is for structural engineers, ready-mix producers, contractors and buyers deciding which of the three cements to specify or order. It goes into the chemistry, the standard names and their editions, Gulf soils and the uses of white cement. For the wider picture of producers, blended cements and the SASO and Dubai rules, read our main guide to cement types, brands and rules in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
| OPC | Moderate SR (MSRC) | SRC | White cement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASTM C150 type | Type I | Type II | Type V | Type I (RAK White) |
| EN 197-1 name | CEM I, e.g. 42.5N | No separate name | CEM I-SR, e.g. SR3 | CEM I, e.g. 52.5N |
| What is controlled | General requirements | Moderate sulphate resistance | High sulphate resistance (low tricalcium aluminate) | Whiteness, plus the CEM I or Type I requirements |
| Typical use | Superstructure, blocks, precast, mortar | Soils with moderate sulphate | Foundations, blinding and buried concrete in sulphate-bearing ground | Precast cladding, GRC, tile adhesives, decorative work |
| Examples of Gulf producers listing it | Most UAE and Saudi producers | Fujairah Cement, Gulf Cement, EMSTEEL | Most UAE and Saudi producers | RAK White Cement |
Portland cement clinker contains a phase called tricalcium aluminate (C3A). When sulphate ions from soil or groundwater get into hardened concrete, the hydrated aluminate phases react with them to form ettringite, which crystallises in the pores and can build up enough pressure to crack the concrete. Sulphate resisting cement limits the C3A content of the clinker so there is less to react.
The limit is set by the standard. The test certificate in Gulf Cement's SRC data sheet, for example, shows a C3A requirement of 5.0% maximum, against a typical result of 4.0%. ASTM C150 describes Type II as "for general use, more especially when moderate sulfate resistance is desired" and Type V as "for use when high sulfate resistance is desired". Moderate sulphate resisting cement (MSRC), sold as Type II by Fujairah Cement, Gulf Cement and EMSTEEL, sits between OPC and SRC.
Gulf producers describe the same use case. EMSTEEL recommends its SRC "where concrete is in direct contact with soil with high salt content or seawater", and Gulf Cement says its SRC is for concrete in direct contact with saline soils or seawater. Yamama Cement describes its Type V cement as protecting concrete exposed to sulphate-rich soils and groundwater.
ASTM C150/C150M-24, Standard Specification for Portland Cement (astm.org), lists in its scope Types I, IA, II, IIA, III, IIIA and V. The "A" types are air-entraining versions. A note in the standard says some cements carry a combined classification such as Type I/II, meaning they meet both. In Saudi Arabia, producers label to the SASO-adopted version: Yamama lists its OPC as SASO-ASTM C150 Type I and its SRC as SASO-ASTM C150 Type V.
BS EN 197-1:2011 is the current edition on BSI's catalogue. BSI says it specifies 27 common cements and 7 sulphate resisting common cements, plus low early strength blast furnace cements. Sulphate resisting CEM I cements carry an SR suffix: Gulf Cement states that its SRC meets BS EN 197-1 SR3, and Dubai Municipality's 2026 circular refers to SRC as "BS EN 197-1 CEM I-SR or equivalent".
BS 4027, the old British standard for sulphate resisting Portland cement, is withdrawn: BSI shows BS 4027:1996 as withdrawn on 3 May 2012. BS EN 197-1:2000 was withdrawn on 30 September 2011. Some Gulf product pages still cite them. Fujairah Cement lists its SRC to BS 4027 Class 42.5N, EMSTEEL lists its SRC to BS 4027 and its OPC to BS EN 197-1:2000, and both also cite ASTM C150. That is not a reason to reject the cement. It is a reason to ask which current standard the certificate and mill test report are issued against, and to match it to your specification.
The decision starts with the geotechnical report. Dubai Municipality's 2026 circular says blinding concrete may use OPC, CEM II/A-P, CEM II/A-L or SRC, and that a sulphate resisting cement or equivalent must be selected where the Aggressive Chemical Environment for Concrete (ACEC) class of the supporting ground warrants it. The ACEC class is assessed to BS 8500-1:2023 Annex A and BRE Special Digest 1. On a Gulf project, ask the consultant for:
Dubai's circular sets superstructure mixes by carbonation and coastal exposure classes and does not call for SRC there; sulphate resistance is a below-ground question.
Much Gulf ground carries both sulphates and chlorides. Research at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals describes marine, coastal and offshore environments and soils charged with concentrated brines, such as the sabkha of eastern Saudi Arabia, as high in both salts. That study compared plain Type I and Type V cements with blended cements made with fly ash, silica fume and blast furnace slag, and proposed specifications for durable concrete in sabkha.
Sulphates attack the cement paste; chlorides corrode the reinforcement. Low C3A addresses the first, not the second. Gulf rules reflect that:
In practice the Gulf answer for buried, salt-exposed concrete is often SRC or OPC plus GGBS or fly ash, at a low water-cement ratio, with adequate cover. Agree the combination at trial-mix stage with your ready-mix concrete supplier, along with the admixtures it needs.
OPC is the general-purpose cement for concrete and mortar. Gulf Cement, for example, certifies its OPC to BS EN 197-1 CEM I 42.5N and ASTM C150 Type I. In Dubai, the 2026 circular lets superstructure elements (columns, walls, beams, suspended slabs) use CEM I and other Category A1 or B1 cements without GGBS or fly ash, subject to cover, strength and water-cement limits for each exposure class. It also warns that CEM I can raise heat of hydration and thermal cracking risk in mass or heavily restrained elements, and that lower-clinker cements containing pozzolana may help there. So OPC suits most above-ground work, while thick pours and buried elements usually call for something else.
White Portland cement is a Portland cement made for whiteness. In the UAE, RAK Co. for White Cement and Construction Materials makes it to EN 197-1 CEM I 52.5N and ASTM C150 Type I, so it meets the same type requirements as grey OPC at a higher strength class. The company lists these uses:
It is sold in bags from 1 kg to 50 kg, in 1.5 tonne jumbo bags and in bulk truckloads. In Saudi Arabia, SASO's building materials regulation lists separate customs codes for bulk and packed white Portland cement and for artificially coloured white cement, so imported white cement falls under the same Quality Mark rules as grey cement.
White cement is chosen for appearance, not durability. If a white element is buried or in a coastal exposure class, the same cover, water-cement and SCM rules apply; ask the precast or GRC supplier how its mix meets them. Browse precast concrete producers in the UAE for white architectural units.
Full producer lists are in our guides to cement factories in the UAE and cement companies in Saudi Arabia.
To compare offers for the type you need, post your cement requirement with the type, standard, quantity and site location. Saudi buyers can also browse ready-mix concrete suppliers in Saudi Arabia.
More in this series: GGBS and Fly Ash in Gulf Concrete, Hot-Weather Concreting in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Sulphate resisting cement is used for concrete in contact with sulphate-bearing soil or groundwater: foundations, pile caps, blinding, buried walls and sewerage works. Gulf producers recommend it where concrete touches saline soils or seawater. It resists sulphate attack on the cement paste but does not by itself stop chloride corrosion of the steel, so Gulf specifications often add slag or fly ash.
Both are Portland cements. SRC (ASTM C150 Type V or EN 197-1 CEM I-SR) limits the tricalcium aluminate in the clinker, which is the phase that reacts with sulphates to form expansive ettringite. OPC (Type I or CEM I) has no such limit. Gulf Cement's SRC data sheet, for example, shows a 5.0% maximum C3A requirement.
In practice, yes. Type V is the ASTM C150 type "for use when high sulfate resistance is desired", and Gulf producers sell their SRC as Type V. The European equivalent is a CEM I-SR cement under EN 197-1, such as SR3. Type II is the moderate sulphate resisting type.
No, not on its own. Sulphates attack the cement paste, while chlorides corrode the reinforcement. That is why Dubai requires GGBS or fly ash in all substructure concrete and requires slag or fly ash cements for coastal elements with less than 45 mm cover. Research on eastern Saudi sabkha compared Type V with blended cements for this reason.
BSI lists BS 4027:1996 as withdrawn on 3 May 2012. Sulphate resisting CEM I cements are now covered by BS EN 197-1:2011, alongside ASTM C150 Type V. Some Gulf producers still quote BS 4027 on product pages, so ask which current standard their certificate is issued against.
White Portland cement such as RAK White's meets EN 197-1 CEM I 52.5N and ASTM C150 Type I, the same type requirements as grey OPC. It is chosen for appearance, in precast cladding, GRC and decorative work. Structural use still has to meet the exposure, cover and SCM rules that apply to the element.
How to pour concrete through a Gulf summer: temperature limits, cooling the mix with chilled water and ice, retarding admixtures, pour timing and the midday work ban, curing and testing.
How GGBS and fly ash work in concrete, how much cement they replace, what they do for heat and durability, the standards and Dubai and Saudi rules, and who supplies them in the Gulf.
Which UAE cement factories make OPC, SRC, white cement, GGBS and clinker, where each plant is, which producers are listed on ADX, and how to buy in bulk, bags or for export.
