«First Bank» Ranking of the Top 50 Lending Banks in the Arab World

The UAE and Saudi Arabia dominate 40% of the «First Bank» list of the top 50 lending banks in the Arab world, with 10 spots for each country.

Qatari banks secure 8 spots in the ranking, while Kuwait secures 7 positions in the list.

Oman and Bahrain each achieve 4 positions, while 3 Moroccan banks appear in the ranking.

Two Egyptian banks enter the ranking, and one spot each for Jordan and Algeria in the «First Bank» list.

The «First Bank» ranking of the top 50 lending banks in the Arab world, as of June 2025, reveals a notable dominance by banks from the UAE and Saudi Arabia in the regional lending scene. The two countries together accounted for around 40% of the total list, each securing 10 spots. This reflects the financial strength of their banking sectors and their competitive capabilities within the Arab banking market.

Qatar also performed well in the ranking, with its banks securing 8 spots, supported by continued regional expansion and increasing momentum in financing activities within the Qatari market. Kuwait also made a strong showing with 7 spots in the list.

Oman and Bahrain each secured 4 spots, indicating the strength of the banking sector in both countries. Morocco continued to expand its regional presence with 3 banks in the ranking, while Egypt had a limited representation with only 2 spots.

On the other hand, both Jordan and Algeria secured 1 spot each, reflecting the varying levels of lending activity in different Arab markets.

The ranking is based on the descending order of banks according to the size of their net announced loans, measured in US dollars, which provides a standardized comparison tool among different banking institutions. The ranking excludes banks that do not have official data available, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the methodology used.

Regarding the individual rankings, Qatar National Bank (QNB) took the lead, with a loan portfolio of approximately 263.91 billion by the end of June 2025.

Al Rajhi Bank secured the second position, with a loan portfolio of around 197.77 billion by the end of June 2025.

Saudi National Bank secured the third position, with a loan portfolio of approximately 190.60 billion by the end of June 2025.

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) took the fourth position, with a loan portfolio of around 154.67 billion by the end of June 2025.

Emirates NBD came in fifth, with a loan portfolio of approximately $148.44 billion by the end of June 2025.

The sixth position was claimed by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), with a loan portfolio of around 103.05 billion by the end of June 2025.

Riyadh Bank took the seventh spot, with a loan portfolio of approximately 94.54 billion by the end of June 2025.

The National Bank of Egypt (NBE) secured the eighth position, with a loan portfolio of around 84.69 billion by the end of June 2025.

Kuwait Finance House (KFH) came in ninth, with a loan portfolio of around 83.42 billion by the end of June 2025.

Finally, the tenth spot went to SAB, with a loan portfolio of around 75.35 billion by the end of June 2025.

It is worth noting that the ranking includes the parent banking groups in various Arab countries and does not include their foreign subsidiaries.