DUBAI- Saudi Arabia's central bank said on Monday that in the first quarter of this year financing for properties in the kingdom tripled when compared to the same period last year.

Contracts related to property financing reached a total value 15 billion riyals ($4 billion), the central bank said in a statement. ($1 = 3.7501 riyals)

(Reporting by Davide Barbuscia; Editing by Alison Williams) ((Davide.Barbuscia@thomsonreuters.com; +971522604297; Reuters Messaging: davide.barbuscia.reuters.com@reuters.net))