Banque Saudi Fransi has received regulatory approval to pay a 0.7 riyal ($0.19) dividend for the first half of 2011, the lender said on Saturday.

'Banque Saudi Fransi announces that it has secured the authorities' approval on the board of directors' recommendation to pay 70 halala per share or 7 per cent of the share's nominal value as half-yearly dividend for 2011,' said the statement posted on the bourse website.

The statement did not give a comparative figure for the previous year.-Reuters