«CIB» Climbs to 38th Place Among the Largest Arab Banks
The «First Bank» ranking of the top 100 banks in the Arab world by end-2025 highlights intensified competition among major institutions, as Commercial International Bank advanced to 38th place, while Burgan Bank slipped to 39th, compared to the «First Bank» ranking as of September 2025. This shift in rankings underscores the sensitivity of positions within the list, which are often influenced by relatively small differences in financial performance indicators among banks. According to the consolidated financial statements of both banks, «Commercial International Bank» recorded a 27% increase in total assets during 2025, reaching 30.11 USD bn by the end of December, compared to 23.79 USD bn at end-2024, marking an increase of 6.32 USD bn. Meanwhile, «Burgan Bank» posted asset growth of 12% 2025, with total assets reaching 29.55 USD bn by end-December, compared to 26.49 USD bn at end-2024, reflecting an increase of 3.06 USD bn. Tracking the competitive dynamics between the two banks over the past five years reveals that «Commercial International Bank» held the lead in most periods. By end-2020, «Commercial International Bank» led with total assets of 27.07 USD bn, compared to 23.40 USD bn for «Burgan Bank», a gap of 3.68 USD bn. The gap widened further to 8.19 USD bn by end-2021, with «CIB» maintaining its lead at 31.61 USD bn in assets, versus 23.42 USD bn for «Burgan Bank». However, «Burgan Bank» narrowed the gap by end-2022 to 2.17 USD bn, as «CIB»’s assets stood at 25.6 USD bn compared to 23.43 USD bn for «Burgan Bank». «Commercial International Bank» continued to outperform by end-2023, reporting assets of 26.94 USD bn, versus 24.17 USD bn for «Burgan Bank». The landscape shifted notably by end-2024, when «Burgan Bank» moved ahead with assets of 26.49 USD bn, compared to 23.79 USD bn for «CIB», creating a gap of 2.70 USD bn in its favor. By end-2025, «Commercial International Bank» regained the lead, with total assets of 30.11 USD bn compared to 29.55 USD bn for «Burgan Bank», with a narrow difference of just 0.56 USD bn, reflecting a very close performance level between the two. This confirms that ranking dynamics among major banks remain fluid and can be reshaped by even marginal improvements in performance.
