RIYADH: Saudi Cement Co."s board of directors has proposed an interim dividend payout of SR229.50 million ($61 million) for the first half of 2022. The cement producer will pay shareholders SR1.5 per share to 153 million eligible shares, according to the company’s bourse disclosure. It said the payment of dividends will commence by Riyad Bank on June 15, through direct transfer to shareholders" bank accounts linked to their investment portfolios. Recently, the publicly-traded company reported a 48.8 percent decline in profits to SR61 million for the first quarter of 2022.