The Big Numbers Race: Fierce Battle Between »Alinma« and »BSF« for Membership in the Saudi Market's Big Five Club
The competition between Banque Saudi Fransi and Alinma Bank is no longer merely a comparison between two closely ranked banks; over recent years, it has evolved into a direct race for a place among the top five in the Saudi banking sector, amid a clear convergence in the size of their balance sheets, with a fundamental difference in growth strategy.
While Banque Saudi Fransi possesses a well-established banking base and a historical presence among the Kingdom’s largest banks, Alinma Bank has, in recent years, succeeded in building strong growth momentum that enabled it to rapidly narrow the gap, and even surpass its competitor in a number of key indicators, making the competition between the two sides more intense for leading positions.
According to March 2026 data, Banque Saudi Fransi ranks fifth among Saudi banks, while Alinma Bank comes sixth.
At the level of financial position, Banque Saudi Fransi’s total assets reached approximately $86.55 billion by the end of March 2026, compared to $86.41 billion for Alinma Bank during the same period.
In the deposits market, Alinma Bank’s portfolio reached approximately $63.84 billion by the end of March 2026, compared to $53.18 billion for Banque Saudi Fransi during the same period.
In financing, Alinma Bank’s portfolio reached approximately $63.50 billion by the end of March 2026, compared to $59.13 billion for Banque Saudi Fransi at the end of the same period.
When analyzing growth trends over the past three years—specifically from the end of 2022 to the end of March 2026—clear shifts in the balance of competition between the two banks appear; Alinma Bank’s asset portfolio increased by 62% during that period, compared to a growth of 40.1% for Banque Saudi Fransi.
This difference in growth pace led to a significant narrowing of the gap between the two banks, after it stood at about $8.42 billion at the end of 2022, declining to approximately $138.44 million by the end of March 2026.
Alinma Bank succeeded in surpassing Banque Saudi Fransi in total assets specifically by the end of 2025, before Banque Saudi Fransi regained the lead by a slight margin during the first quarter of 2026, reflecting the intensity of competition and the close positioning of both parties in terms of size.
This trend extends to the deposit base, as Alinma Bank achieved growth of about 65.3% over the past three years, compared to 26.8% for Banque Saudi Fransi during the same period.
This growth enabled Alinma Bank to surpass its competitor in the deposit portfolio by the end of 2024, and even widen the gap between them to reach approximately $10.66 billion by the end of March 2026.
With regard to financing, Alinma Bank recorded strong growth in net loans of 62.9% over the past three years, compared to 39.8% for Banque Saudi Fransi, enabling it to surpass its competitor in this indicator by the end of 2025, with the gap widening between them to approximately $4.47 billion.
At the profitability level, Alinma Bank recorded net profits of $447.25 million during the first quarter of 2026, with a return on average assets of 2.11% and a return on average equity of 13.72%.
In contrast, Banque Saudi Fransi recorded net profits of $368.01 million, with a return on average assets of 1.74% and a return on average equity of 10.81% during the same period.
At the level of the capital base, data shows that both banks have the same level of capital at approximately $6.66 billion by the end of March 2026, reflecting parity in the capital base between the two sides.
Based on the above data, the competition between Banque Saudi Fransi and Alinma Bank has gone beyond the current ranking to become a reflection of a fundamental difference in growth models; while Banque Saudi Fransi maintains its position based on a strong banking base and a long history within the market, Alinma Bank continues to strengthen its presence through faster growth rates that have enabled it to narrow the gap in size and strongly approach leading positions.
With the continued convergence in performance indicators, competition for a place among the top five banks in the Kingdom has become linked to each party’s ability to maintain growth momentum and transform it into sustainable expansion and more efficient profitability.
