Ships carrying 10,000 tonnes of Omani sand have docked at Bahrain seaports.

The shipment is the first to be imported since Saudi Arabia announced a ban.

'A total of 350,000 tonnes will be imported monthly to meet pressing needs and build up strategic reserves,' Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry board member Samir Abdulla Nass said yesterday.

Samples of sand from other countries are also being analysed to ensure they are suitable for construction projects in Bahrain.

Gulf Corporation Company, a unit of Nass Group, has imported the first shipment. Other companies are also preparing to follow suit and import extra quantities of sand.-TradeArabia News Service