One Year On.. Hisham Ezz Al-Arab Cements CIB’s Standing as Egypt’s Largest Private Bank

Commercial International Bank – Egypt (CIB) entered a landmark chapter in September 2024 with the return of Hisham Ezz Al-Arab to executive leadership. His reappointment restored confidence and momentum, seamlessly linking the bank’s rich legacy of success with its forward-looking ambitions. Known as the "godfather" of CIB and the visionary behind many of its milestones, Ezz Al-Arab has stepped back in at a decisive moment to steer the institution toward stronger performance and sustainable growth, cementing CIB’s standing as Egypt’s leading private sector bank.

Since his return, CIB has achieved remarkable progress across all key metrics, reflecting the effectiveness of its strategy to drive sustainable growth and enhance competitiveness.

According to the bank’s standalone financial statements, CIB’s total assets surged to EGP 1.31 tn by the end of June 2025, up from EGP 1.11 tn at the end of September 2024 — a growth rate of 17.9%, representing an increase of nearly EGP 200 bn in just nine months.

Customer deposits also recorded exceptional growth, climbing to EGP 1.04 tn by June 2025, compared to EGP 896.69 bn in September 2024 — an increase of 16%, or EGP 143.54 bn. This robust performance was driven primarily by individual deposits, which rose 16.4% to reach EGP 594.61 bn, compared to EGP 510.80 bn in September 2024. Institutional deposits also grew significantly, rising 15.5% to EGP 445.62 bn from EGP 385.89 billion over the same period — an increase of EGP 59.73 bn.

On the lending side, CIB’s total loan portfolio expanded by an impressive 33.4%, reaching EGP 466.81 bn in June 2025, compared to EGP 349.81 bn at the end of Q3 2024 — an increase of more than EGP 117 bn. Corporate lending, including SME financing, was the main growth driver, with loans to institutions rising 38.9% to EGP 381.9 bn, up from EGP 274.93 bn. Retail loans also saw strong growth, increasing 13.4% to EGP 84.92 bn from EGP 74.88 bn, adding more than EGP 10 bn during the period.

CIB’s investment portfolio rose 28% to EGP 472.51 bn by June 2025, compared to EGP 369.21 bn in September 2024, representing an increase of EGP 103.30 bn. Shareholders’ equity also strengthened significantly, rising 28.1% to EGP 176.07 bn from EGP 137.44 bn.

On the profitability front, CIB reported record net earnings of EGP 55.427 bn in 2024, nearly doubling the EGP 28.768 bn recorded in 2023 — a 92.67% increase, equivalent to EGP 26.659 bn in additional profits. In the first half of 2025, net income rose to EGP 33.41 bn, compared to EGP 27.68 bn in the same period of 2024, representing 20.7% year-on-year growth.

CIB’s stellar performance has been matched by international recognition of Ezz Al-Arab’s leadership. He was named “CEO of the Year” by the Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) and received the prestigious “Lifetime Achievement Award,” the publication’s highest individual honor.