ABU DHABI:  Statistics Centre — Abu Dhabi (SCAD) issued on Saturday its monthly report on the prices of building materials for the month of December and Q4 2012.

The report presents an analysis of the movements in the prices of the various materials used in the construction industry in Abu Dhabi retail market, comparing December 2012 prices with those of November 2012 and December 2011.

It also compares prices in Q4 2012 with Q3 2012 and Q4 2011. The dissemination of this important report, which presents a wide range of price data, is intended to serve the needs of data users in the public and private sectors for the purposes of research, planning and decision making in ways that support the construction sector as well as related and dependent sectors.

Building materials prices: December/November 2012 Varying changes were reported in the average prices of building materials during December 2012 compared with November 2012, with increases ranging between 0.2 per cent for the “Wires for small building” group and 12.0 per cent for the “Construction labour costs” group.

Price falls were also recorded between the periods compared, ranging between 0.1 per cent for the “Tiles and marble” group and 2.3 per cent for the “Steel” group.

Construction labour costs Average “Construction labour costs” increased by 12.0 percent in December compared with November 2012, reflecting rises in wages for most of the trades under this group, ranging from 7.1 per cent to 18.8 per cent.

Power cables The average prices of “Power cable” advanced by 1.1 per cent in December 2012, as a result of increases in most of the items of this group.

Waterproofing Products The “Waterproofing Products” group increased by 4.6 per cent in December compared with November 2012, as a result of increases in most of the items within this group in the range of 6.3 per cent for “Bitumen/Oxidized Hot (115/15) primer 180 kg/S. Arabian” and 11.6 per cent for “Bitumen/60/70/Tonnes.”

Cement SCAD reported an increase of 1.9 per cent in the average prices of the “Cement” group in December compared with November 2012, due to a rise of 6.7 percent in the price of “Sulphate resistant/Al- Etihad/U.A.E.” cement.