RIYADH, 5 January 2006 — Qassim Cement said yesterday its net profit for 2005 rose 14.6 percent to SR282 million ($75.20 million). A statement on the stock market website said the figure was provisional. The company posted net profit of SR246 million in 2004. It gave no further details. Qassim, the smallest of Saudi Arabia’s listed cement companies in terms of market capitalization, was down 1.79 percent at SR317 after the morning session.