Saudi Cement has reported a 5.9 per cent increase in first-quarter net profit on Tuesday as higher exports boosted its earnings.

Saudi Arabia's largest cement company by market value said in a bourse filing its net profit for the three months to 31 March was SAR303m (US$80.8m), compared to SAR286m in the corresponding period of 2014.

It attributed its net profit rise to increased export sales and higher profit from associated companies.