Saudi cement producer Yamama Cement Company said yesterday it registered a 13% YoY rise in its net profit for 2011 to SAR740m (US$197.3m) from SAR657m a year ago.

For the fourth quarter of 2011, the company booked a net profit of SAR191m, an increase of 19% on the year.

The strong increase was attributed to a rise in sales as a result of more efficient production and marketing,

The earnings per share (EPS) stood at SAR5.48 in 2011, up from SAR4.87 in 2010. The gross profit rose to SAR809m from SAR712m.