First Bank List of the Top 50 Arab Banks in Loan Growth

Clear Emirati Outperformance… UAE Banks Secure 11 Positions Among the Top 50 Arab Banks with the Largest Loan Growth

Saudi banks maintain strong momentum with 10 positions, while 7 Kuwaiti banks feature in the ranking.

Balanced Qatari presence, with 5 Qatari banks included.

Four Egyptian banks appear among the top 50 Arab banks with the strongest loan growth.

Bahrain claims 4 positions, while Morocco strengthens its regional presence with 3 banks.

Oman and Algeria secure two positions each, while Jordan and Lebanon are represented by one bank each.

The First Bank list of the Top 50 Arab Banks with the Largest Increase in Lending during the first half of 2025 revealed a clear disparity in credit expansion across Arab banking markets, with UAE banks showing marked dominance, securing 11 positions in the ranking. This reflects the strength of the UAE banking sector and its continued ability to drive credit growth.

Saudi banks ranked second in terms of representation, with 10 banks included in the list, underscoring the strong momentum witnessed by the Saudi banking sector.

Kuwaiti banks stood out with 7 positions, while the Qatari banking sector recorded representation through 5 banks. Egyptian banks also demonstrated a solid presence, with 4 banks appearing in the ranking, highlighting their ongoing role in supporting lending activity. Bahraini banks likewise secured 4 positions in the list.

In contrast, some markets recorded more limited representation: Morocco was represented by three banks, while both the Sultanate of Oman and Algeria secured two positions each. Meanwhile, Jordan and Lebanon were represented by only one bank each, indicating a concentration of credit expansion in certain markets compared with others during the period under review.

The ranking was based on banks’ positions according to the absolute increase in loan portfolios, denominated in US dollars, providing a unified comparison tool across different banking institutions. Banks lacking officially disclosed data were excluded to ensure accuracy and methodological reliability.

Regarding individual bank rankings, Saudi National Bank claimed first place, after its loan portfolio increased by approximately USD 16.46 bn during the first half of 2025, reaching USD 190.60 bn as of end-June 2025, compared with USD 174.14 bn at end-2024.

Qatar National Bank (QNB Group) ranked second, with its loan portfolio rising by about USD 14.01 bn in the first half of 2025 to reach approximately USD 263.91 bn by end-June 2025, up from USD 249.90 bn at end-2024.

Al Rajhi Bank came in third, after its financing portfolio increased by around USD 13.20 bn during the first six months of 2025, reaching USD 197.77 bn by end-June, compared with USD 184.56 bn at end-2024.

Emirates NBD secured fourth place, as its loan portfolio grew by approximately USD 11.86 bn during the first half of 2025, reaching USD 148.44 bn by end-June 2025, versus USD 136.59 bn at end-2024.

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) ranked fifth, with its loan portfolio reaching around USD 154.67 bn by end-June 2025, compared with USD 144.01 bn at end-2024, reflecting an increase of USD 10.66 bn during the first half of 2025.

National Bank of Egypt placed sixth, after its loan portfolio rose by approximately USD 9.51 bn during the first half of 2025, reaching USD 84.69 bn by end-June, compared with USD 75.18 bn at end-2024.

Riyad Bank captured seventh place, with its loan portfolio increasing by around USD 9.34 bn during the first six months of 2025, to reach approximately USD 94.54 bn by end-June 2025, compared with USD 85.20 bn at end-2024.

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) ranked eighth, after its loan portfolio grew by about USD 7.58 bn during the first half of 2025, reaching approximately USD 103.05 bn by end-June 2025, compared with USD 95.47 bn at end-2024.

Dubai Islamic Bank came ninth, as its financing portfolio rose by approximately USD 6.79 bn during the first half of 2025, reaching USD 64.63 bn by end-June, compared with USD 57.84 bn at end-2024.

Tenth place went to the National Bank of Kuwait, whose loan portfolio reached around USD 83.42 bn by end-June 2025, compared with USD 76.97 bn at end-2024, marking an increase of approximately USD 6.44 bn during the first half of 2025.

It is worth noting that the ranking included parent banking groups across Arab countries and did not include their foreign subsidiaries.