RIYADH, 11 October 2005 — Saudi Arabia’s Samba Financial Group said yesterday its third quarter net profit rose 72 percent to SR1.19 billion ($317.3 million), compared to SR695 million in the same period last year. It said net profit for the first nine months of this year rose 58 percent to SR3 billion — the third consecutive record quarterly profit. “The outstanding quarter and the nine-month ended September 2005 net income reported has been the best in Samba history,” Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Eisa Al-Eisa said in a statement.