DUBAI: Saudi Cement Co., Saudi Arabia’s largest cement firm by market value, posted a 9.6 percent rise in third-quarter net profit on Tuesday, citing higher sales within the Kingdom.

The company made SR229 million ($61.1 million) in the three months to Sept. 30, versus SR209 million in the same period of 2012, it said in a bourse filing.

Its third-quarter earnings were ahead of the average forecast of ten analysts polled by Reuters, who expected a net profit of SR223.9 million.