Saudi cement producer Umm Al Qura saw its first-quarter net profit, after tax and zakat, more than doubled to SAR21.5m (US$5.7m) in the 1Q19 from SAR10.2m in the 1Q18.

The company attributed the rise in profit due to improved selling prices as well as an increase in sales values. First-quarter sales advanced 12.4 per cent to SAR63.5m in 2019 when compared with SAR56.5m in the year-ago period.