Southern Cement Plans Bonus Share

RIYADH, 13 February 2006 — Southern Cement, Saudi Arabia’s largest listed cement firm, said yesterday it plans to offer shareholders one bonus share for each three shares they own. It also plans to give a dividend of SR5 for the second half of 2005 bringing total dividend for the year to SR17, a statement on the bourse website said. The recommendation was made at a board meeting yesterday. It gave no further details. The firm, which has already said it was mulling a capital increase, posted a net profit rise for 2005 of 12.7 percent to SR615 million.