Competitiveness Index: Narrow Margins… Three Banks Engage in a Fierce Race Among Egypt’s Largest Personal Lending Portfolios
As part of the continuous monitoring conducted by First Bank of developments in the Egyptian banking sector—particularly amid intensifying competition among emerging banks—2025 data revealed escalating competition among three banks that are now operating within an extremely close range: EGBANK, ABK-Egypt, and saib.
According to the data, EGBANK ranked eighth among the largest banks operating in the personal lending segment by the end of 2025, followed by ABK-Egypt in ninth place and saib in tenth, reflecting intense competition and highly comparable market sizes among the three institutions.
In terms of annual performance during 2025, EGBANK recorded the strongest pace of expansion, with its personal lending portfolio surging to EGP 25.10 bn by the end of 2025, up from EGP 13.04 bn at the end of 2024, achieving an annual growth rate of 92.5%, This reflects a clear acceleration in the bank’s expansion strategy within the personal lending sector.
Meanwhile, ABK-Egypt continued to deliver more stable and less aggressive growth, with its personal lending portfolio increasing to EGP 25.06 bn by the end of 2025, compared to approximately EGP 22.03 bn at the end of 2024, representing an annual growth rate of 13.8%.
Similarly, saib recorded strong expansion, as its personal lending portfolio rose to EGP 24.44 bn by the end of 2025, compared to EGP 16.77 bn at the end of 2024, achieving an annual growth rate of 45.7%.
These figures indicate that competition among the three banks has entered a more intense phase, particularly as the gaps between them have narrowed to limited levels, making the sustainability of current growth rates a decisive factor in reshaping rankings over the coming years.
Looking ahead to the future trajectory of the three banks by the end of 2026, the compound annual growth rates «CAGR» over the past three years—specifically from 2022 to 2025—highlight clear differences in expansion dynamics. ABK-Egypt recorded a CAGR of 28.3%, compared to significantly higher and closely aligned rates for EGBANK and saib at 46.3% and 46.2%, respectively, reflecting a faster expansion pace for the latter two institutions.
Assuming current expansion trends continue without major structural changes, the competitive landscape appears poised for a notable reshuffling by the end of 2026, EGBANK is expected to maintain its eighth-place ranking, with its portfolio exceeding EGP 36 bn, while saib may advance to ninth place with a portfolio approaching EGP 35.7 bn, surpassing ABK-Egypt, whose portfolio is projected to reach around EGP 32 bn, amid the continued relative growth advantage enjoyed by EGBANK and saib.
As this relative convergence persists, competition among the three banks is likely to witness further shifts in the coming periods, particularly as maintaining growth momentum has become the most influential factor in determining the balance of power within Egypt’s personal lending market—one of the most competitive segments of retail banking in the Egyptian banking sector.
