The stone and marble industry is one of the most important sectors of Palestinian industry. Several factors highlight the importance of the industry. These include:

Palestine is renowned for its natural lime stone that is characterized by its bright attractive colors that are in high demand in international markets. The raw material used in production of the stone and marble products is 100% local and reserves of this material will serve for the next fifty years.

The Palestinian stone and marble industry, although highly automated in certain functional areas, is still considered a labor-intensive industry. This industry employs about 15,000 administrative, skilled and unskilled laborers. Annual wage average approximately $6000 per year for unskilled workers, the highest wage paid to unskilled laborers in any major industry in Palestine. Average annual product sales per employee are approximately $40,000 .

Total investment in the industry is estimated at around $700 million making it a major employer of Palestinian capital.

The local industry is growing at a rate averaging 8 percent per year and currently enjoys an 25% share of the local market. Total industry output in excess of $100 million per year contributes 4 percent of total Palestinian GNP.

A large share of Palestinian stone (about 71 percent) is exported to Israel and increasing amounts are exported to Arab countries and others countries.

UNION OF STONE AND MARBLE (USM)

The Union of Palestinian Stone and Marble Producers was founded in 1996 as an independent non-profit organization. The Union currently represents more than 400 member companies. It maintains its headquarters in Bethlehem, where the majority of factory owners are located, in addition to two other offices in Hebron and Nablus. Membership is open to all stone quarry and mill owners.

The Union's main activities and objectives are:

• Representing the interests of the sector in all aspects
• Developing the sector by promoting the use of state-of-the-art technologies;
• Increasing production efficiency to maintain a competitive edge over foreign production. This is achieved by providing intensive training courses on management, marketing, quality control and production skills;
• Promoting high quality standards to be compatible with international market requirements;
• Opening new foreign markets and offering new opportunities for companies to work with foreign partners and maintain easy access to foreign markets;
• Creating job opportunities for Palestinians through the expansion of the industry; and,
• Coordinating and cooperating with international organizations to provide technical assistance to the sector.

Exports:

Stone and marble products are currently exported to USA, Italy, England, Japan, Korea, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait and Israel. New markets are being opened steadily. Leading companies in exports are:

Mr. Nour Al-Deen Jaradat, Chairman
Palestinian Union of Stone and Marble Industry
P.O.Box 980 Bethlehem, Palestine
Tel: 972-2-2776393 Fax: 972-2-2741502
Website - www.usm-pal.org
E-mail- info@usm-pal.org