** Shares in Saudi Arabia's Almarai drop 2.0 percent to 78.50 riyals in early trade ** Company said on Sunday its board recommended a cash dividend of 1 riyal per share for 2014 ** Almarai, the largest dairy firm in the Gulf, paid the same amount in 2013 ** Some market players had expected a higher 2014 dividend as net profit is forecast to rise 13 percent, according to Thomson Reuters average of analysts' predictions ** Saudi Arabia's stock index is flat (Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Andrew Torchia)