The firm made a net profit of SR195 million ($52 million) in the three months to end-September, compared with SR140 million a year earlier.

Four analysts surveyed by Reuters expected the firm to post, on average, SR171.9 million in net profit for the third quarter.

The company said it had raised efficiency by using new production lines and that local demand had grown. It attributed the fall in profits from the second quarter to a seasonal decline in sales.

The company posted a second-quarter net profit of SR214 million.

Saudi Cement's shares closed 0.8 percent higher at SR63.25 a share in earlier trading on Wednesday, outperforming Saudi Arabia's bourse which closed 0.2 percent lower.