DUBAI: Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) swung to a third-quarter net profit on higher sales to Saudi Arabia, the owner of the world's fourth-largest aluminum smelter said on Wednesday.

Net profit for the three months to Sept. 30 was 4.9 million dinar ($13 million) versus a net loss of 13 million dinars a year earlier.

Alba's income was boosted by a 7 percent increase in sales to 183.3 million dinars, with strong demand from Saudi Arabia noted, and a 4.7 percent hike in tons produced compared to the same months last year.

Despite the return to profit, Alba missed the estimate of local investment bank SICO Bahrain, which forecast third-quarter earnings of 10 million dinars.