Arab National Bank, Saudi Arabia's seventh-largest lender by assets, reported a 5.5 percent fall in fourth-quarter net profit on Tuesday, missing analyst forecasts as fees and commissions declined and credit provisions rose.

The bank made a net profit of SR594.4 million ($158.5 million) in the three months to December 31, down from SR628.8 million in the corresponding period of 2014, it said in a bourse statement.

Six analysts polled by Reuters had forecast on average the lender would make a fourth-quarter net profit of SR691.2 million.

Arab National Bank, 40 percent owned by Jordan's largest lender Arab Bank, blamed the profit fall on a 4.2 percent decrease in operating income, which was caused by lower fee and commission income, plus higher provisions for credit losses. It did not provide further details.

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

The bank said last month it has proposed paying a cash dividend of SR0.55 per share for the second half of 2015, in line with the payout for the same period of the previous year. - Reuters