RIYADH: Nahdi Medical Co., operator of one of the largest pharmacy chains in Saudi Arabia, reported a rise in net profit by 18.4 percent to SR268.5 million ($71.44 million) in the second quarter compared to the same period last year, according to a bourse filing. The company’s net profit increased by 13.1 percent in the current quarter compared to the previous quarter of the current year driven by the sales growth due to Ramadan season. The revenue of the pharmaceutical chain increased by 8.2 percent to SR2.2 billion, while the gross profit surged by 7.7 percent to SR926 million. The bourse filing also noted that the firm distributed SR300 million as dividends for the first half of 2022. Some 130 million shares were eligible for dividends, and the dividend per share currently stands at SR2.31.