«The Big Numbers Race»: «SAB» challenges «Kuwait Finance House» for a spot in the Top 10 of the Arab banking sector

Amid the intense competition among major Arab banks, a new episode of «The Big Numbers Race» examines the fierce rivalry between «SAB» (Saudi British Bank) and «Kuwait Finance House» for membership in the Top 10 of the Arab banking sector.

According to September 2025 data, «Kuwait Finance House» holds the 10th position by total assets across the Arab banking sector, while «SAB» ranks 11th, reflecting a very tight gap between the two banks that is decided by relatively small numerical differences.

Based on the consolidated financial statements of both banks, Kuwait Finance House’s total asset portfolio reached approximately USD 133.35 bn by end-September 2025, compared with USD 118.78 bn for SAB over the same period.

At the deposit level, Kuwait Finance House recorded total customer deposits of USD 65.84 bn, versus USD 84.01 bn for SAB at the close of the same period.

Regarding the credit portfolio, Kuwait Finance House’s net loans stood at USD 69.44 bn by end-September 2025, compared with USD 78.11 bn for SAB during the same period.

Despite Kuwait Finance House’s lead in terms of total assets, a dynamic comparison reveals SAB’s superior growth momentum over the past three years—from end-2022 through end-September 2025—where SAB recorded total asset growth of 41.9%, compared with 10.3% for Kuwait Finance House.

This strong performance enabled SAB to narrow the asset gap with its competitor from USD 37.16 bn at end-2022 to USD 14.57 bn by end-September 2025.

At the deposit level, SAB achieved total growth of approximately 47.3% over the last three years, versus a decline of 10.4% for Kuwait Finance House over the same period.

This allowed SAB to surpass its competitor during 2024. However, the ranking remains fluid due to the relatively narrow deposit gap of USD 18.18 bn by end-September 2025.

On the lending front, SAB also maintained superior growth, with net loans increasing by approximately 60.2% over the past three years, compared with 12.7% for Kuwait Finance House during the same period.

This strong credit performance enabled SAB to surpass Kuwait Finance House in total loan portfolio by end-2024, though Kuwait Finance House still has the potential to reclaim the lead given the narrow remaining gap of USD 7.8 bn by end-September 2025, should it achieve strong growth in the coming period.

In terms of profitability, Kuwait Finance House recorded net profits of USD 1.85 bn during the first 9 months of 2025, with a return on average assets (ROAA) of 1.95% and a return on average equity (ROAE) of 11.75% over the same period.

By comparison, SAB reported slightly lower net profits of USD 1.71 bn in the first 9 months of 2025, with a ROAA of 2.02% and a ROAE of 11.59%. This reflects a relative difference in balance-sheet management philosophy: SAB focuses on maximizing returns from assets, while Kuwait Finance House emphasizes enhancing shareholders’ equity.

Regarding capital base, Kuwait Finance House’s capital amounted to USD 6.05 bn by end-September 2025, compared with USD 5.48 bn for SAB over the same period.

The financial indicators confirm that SAB benefits from accelerating competitive momentum, driven by higher growth rates in assets, deposits, and loans over the past three years. This reflects a greater capacity to expand and leverage improvements in the Saudi banking operating environment, enhancing its prospects for reshaping its relative position within the Top 10 Arab banks.

Conversely, while Kuwait Finance House maintains a clear advantage in terms of total assets and capital base—providing institutional weight and structural stability—the continued superior growth rates of SAB may gradually offset this advantage, making the ranking of the two banks within the Top 10 susceptible to change in the upcoming periods, provided each bank continues its current strategic trajectory without major adjustments.