Musical Chairs Emerge in the Ranking of the Top 20 Arab Banks Between 2024 and 2025

«First Bank» ranking of the largest 100 Arab banks by the end of 2025 revealed a high degree of stability among the top 20 banks, with the stability index reaching nearly 90%, reflecting the limited changes in the rankings of major banks compared with 2024 data.

“First Bank” had previously launched its Stability Index to measure banks’ movements within the ranking based on four main categories. Banks that maintained their positions without change are classified under “Full Stability,” while banks that moved between one and three positions fall under the “Stable Movement” category.

Banks whose rankings changed between four and ten positions are classified under “Moderate Movement,” while those that shifted by more than ten positions are categorized under “Major Movements,” reflecting sharp changes in their standings within the ranking.

The data showed that the top 10 Arab banks were the most stable segment within the ranking, as banks occupying positions from third to eighth maintained their rankings without any change, placing them within the “Full Stability” category. This reflects the strength of their competitive positions and the stability of their business volumes.

Despite this overall stability, the top 10 list still witnessed limited movements. First Abu Dhabi Bank succeeded in capturing the top position in the Arab banking sector, while Qatar National Bank retreated to second place.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Finance House advanced to ninth place, while Riyad Bank slipped to tenth. These changes fall under the “Stable Movement” category, as they were limited to minor ranking shifts.

As for banks ranked from 11th to 20th, the pace of movement appeared more diverse compared with the top 10, although it generally remained within the range of relative stability.

Both Saudi Awwal Bank “SAB” and Dubai Islamic Bank maintained their 11th and 12th positions respectively without any change compared with the previous year, allowing them to remain within the “Full Stability” category. This reflects the stability of their business volumes and their ability to preserve positions within the tier closest to entering the top 10.

In contrast, most of the other banks within this segment fell under the “Stable Movement” category, as six banks recorded slight changes ranging between one and two positions upward or downward, reflecting the continued convergence in business volumes among major banks.

Only two banks witnessed moderate movements within this segment. Banque Misr climbed four places, advancing from 18th position at the end of 2024 to 14th by the end of 2025.

On the other hand, Banque Saudi Fransi dropped from 13th to 17th place during the same period, placing it as well within the “Moderate Movement” category according to the index.

In light of these limited movements across the major banking segments, it can be said that the Arab banking sector is experiencing a state of relative stability in the leading positions.

These results also indicate that the gaps between banks have become increasingly narrow and sensitive, making even slight improvements in performance or modest growth in assets capable of causing ranking changes—albeit gradually and without creating major structural shifts in the overall ranking landscape.