Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk Cement Co said Wednesday its first quarter 2010 net profit inched up to SAR34.02m (US$9.1m) from SAR33.5m in the same period last year on higher sales.

First quarter operating profit rose 9.5 per cent to SAR34.7m versus SAR31.7m in 2009, the producer said in a statement posted on the Saudi bourse website.

Earnings per share for the first three months of 2010 came in at SAR0.38 compared with SAR0.37 in the year-earlier period.