DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi British Bank (>> The Saudi British Bank) (SABB), the kingdom's fifth-largest bank by assets, posted a 1.2 percent increase in its second-quarter net profit on Tuesday, in line with analyst forecasts as earnings from special commissions rose.

The bank, an affiliate of HSBC Holdings (>> HSBC Holdings plc), said it made 1.15 billion riyals (£233.4 million) in the three months ending June 30, compared with 1.14 billion riyals in the same period a year earlier, according to a bourse filing.

Four analysts surveyed by Reuters on average expected the bank to post a net profit of 1.11 billion riyals for the quarter.

The main driver for the earnings gain was a 10.8 percent increase in profits from special commissions to 1.18 billion riyals, which helped boost total operating income by 5.1 percent.

This helped to offset a 7.1 percent jump in total operating expenses, where a reduction in impairments for bad loans was overshadowed by higher salaries.

Saudi companies issue brief earnings statements early in the reporting period before publishing more detailed results later.

(Reporting by David French; Editing by Greg Mahlich)

Stocks treated in this article : The Saudi British Bank, HSBC Holdings plc