60 Gulf Banks Featured in «First Bank» List of the Top 100 Banks in the Arab World by the End of 2025

The «First Bank» list of the top 100 banks in the Arab world by the end of 2025 revealed that Gulf Banks succeeded in capturing 60 positions out of 100, with total assets amounting to USD 4.05 tn by the end of 2025, representing 81% of the total assets of the 100 banks under review.

The ranking was based on ordering banks according to total assets announced by the end of December 2025 and denominated in US dollars, providing a unified comparison tool across banking institutions. It also excluded banks for which official data were not available to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the adopted methodology.

The ranking included parent banking groups across different Arab countries and did not include their foreign subsidiaries.

UAE banks led the Gulf region with 18 positions, with total assets amounting to USD 1.41 tn by the end of 2025, representing about 28% of the total assets of the top 100 Arab banks.

These included: «FAB UAE», «Emirates – NBD», «ADCB», «Dubai Islamic Bank», «Mashreq», «ADIB», «Commercial Bank of Dubai», «Emirates Islamic», «RAKBANK», «Sharjah Islamic Bank», «National Bank of Fujairah», «Wio Bank», «Bank of Sharjah», «Ajman Bank», «United Arab Bank», «Umm Al Qaiwain National Bank», «Commercial International Bank – UAE», and «Invest Bank».

Saudi banks followed with 10 positions, with combined assets of USD 1.24 tn by the end of the same year, accounting for around 25% of the total assets of the top 100 Arab banks.

They included: «Saudi National Bank», «Al Rajhi Bank», «Riyad Bank», «SAB», «Alinma Bank», «Banque Saudi Fransi», «Arab National Bank», «Bank Albilad», «Saudi Investment Bank», and «Bank AlJazira».

Kuwaiti banks also strengthened their regional presence with 9 positions, with total assets of about USD 449.26 bn, including: «National Bank of Kuwait», «Kuwait Finance House», «Boubyan Bank», «Burgan Bank», «Gulf Bank», «Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait», «Warba Bank», «Commercial Bank of Kuwait», and «Kuwait International Bank».

Qatar and Bahrain each secured 8 positions in the ranking, although their asset sizes differed.

Qatari banks outperformed, with total assets amounting to USD 644.55 bn by the end of 2025, including: «Qatar National Bank», «Qatar Islamic Bank», «Commercial Bank of Qatar», «Masraf Al Rayan», «Dukhan Bank», «Doha Bank», «Ahli Bank», and «Qatar International Islamic Bank».

Bahraini banks recorded total assets of USD 196.44 bn by the end of the same year, including: «Gulf International Bank», «ABC», «Al Baraka», «Al Salam Bank», «National Bank of Bahrain», «Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait», «Ithmaar Bank», and «Bahrain Islamic Bank».

Meanwhile, banks in Oman captured 7 positions in the list, with total assets of USD 111.50 bn by the end of 2025, including: «Bank Muscat», «Sohar International», «National Bank of Oman», «Bank Dhofar», «Ahli Bank Oman», «Bank Nizwa», and «Alizz Islamic Bank».