DUBAI  - Al Rajhi Bank, Saudi Arabia's second-largest lender by assets, reported a 17.7 percent rise in its second-quarter net profit on Thursday, at the high end of analysts' forecasts.

The bank made 2.57 billion riyals ($685 million) in the three months to June 30, up from 2.18 billion riyals in the same period a year earlier, it said in a statement via the stock exchange.

The average forecast of three analysts surveyed by Reuters was a net profit of 2.41 billion riyals. 

 

($1 = 3.7503 riyals)

(Reporting By Tom Arnold; Editing by Susan Fenton) ((Tom.Arnold@thomsonreuters.com; +97144536265; Reuters Messaging: tom.arnold.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))