Saudi's Riyad Bank Q1 net profit up 55 pct

RIYADH, April 11 (Reuters) - Saudi lender Riyad Bank posted a 55 percent rise in first-quarter net profit, helped by lower operating costs and better profit from banking services.

The bank made a net profit of 684 million riyals ($182.4 million) in the three months to end March 31, up from 441 million riyals in the year-earlier period, according to a bourse statement on Sunday.

Four banks surveyed by Reuters had on average expected net profit of 794.25 million riyals.

(Reporting by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Dinesh Nair) ($1=3.750 Saudi Arabian Riyal) Keywords: RIYADBANK EARNINGS ([e-mail] ; [phone]; Reuters Messaging:[e-mail]) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.