Saudi private group Midroc Al-Amoudi wants to start production at a planned sugar refinery in Yemen by the end of 2011, the project's executive director told Reuters on Monday.

Ahmed Bamunif said work on the plant, which will be in Aden's free zone, will start in January.

"We plan to start production by the end of 2011. We will start at one million tonnes per year and we will increase it to 1.5 million tonnes per year may be in 2012," Bamunif said.

"The output will cater for local demand and some of it will be exported to African countries, such as Djibouti, Kenya, Ertitra, Somalia and Ethiopia," he added. - Reuters