First Index: Riyad Bank returns to ninth place at the expense of Kuwait Finance House in the ranking of major Arab banks.
Amid intensifying competition among Arab banks within the list of the top 100 banks in the region, a clear rivalry has emerged for positions within the top ten—particularly for ninth place between Riyad Bank and Kuwait Finance House.
Data shows a noticeable shift in the rankings of the two banks over a short period, reflecting a very close performance gap between them.
According to the “First Bank” ranking of the top 100 Arab banks by the end of 2025, Kuwait Finance House managed to seize ninth place from Riyad Bank, narrowing the gap between them to its lowest level in five years—around $377 million—highlighting the intensity of competition and the sensitivity of rankings to even minor changes in assets.
However, this lead did not last long. By the end of March 2026, the landscape shifted again, with Riyad Bank successfully reclaiming ninth place after increasing its total assets to $143.11 billion, while Kuwait Finance House slipped to tenth place with assets of $141.87 billion.
The gap between the two banks widened again to approximately $1.23 billion, indicating that competition remains ongoing, with rankings likely to shift again given the close performance levels.
In addition to its asset growth, Riyad Bank delivered solid performance in the first quarter of 2026. Its customer deposits portfolio grew by 6.2%, reaching $93.94 billion by the end of March, compared to $88.44 billion at the end of 2025.
Meanwhile, its loan portfolio recorded a modest 1% increase during the first three months of 2026, reaching $100.47 billion by the end of March, compared to approximately $99.53 billion at the end of 2025.
Shareholders’ equity rose by 4.8% over the same period, reaching $21.09 billion by the end of March 2026, compared to $20.12 billion at the end of 2025.
On the profitability front, the bank posted net profits of $696.39 million in Q1 2026, up from $662.76 million in Q1 2025, reflecting a growth rate of 5.1%.
Net special commission income increased by 3.1% during the first three months of the year, reaching $901.82 million, compared to $875.10 million in the same period of 2025.
