ABK-Egypt scales loans under Khaled El Salawy, cutting NPL to 1.46%
Ali Adel
Translated & Edited by Aya Elsayed
Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait – Egypt (ABK-Egypt) has entered a new phase of strategic transformation under Khaled El Salawy, CEO and Managing Director, with the shift already reflected in stronger financial performance and a more competitive position within Egypt’s banking sector.
In this edition of “Decision Makers," we examine the marked expansion of ABK-Egypt’s customer loan portfolio under Khaled El Salawy’s leadership. His strategy has strengthened the bank’s business, broadened its product offering and expanded its customer base, reinforcing its position among the fastest-growing lenders in the Egyptian market.
The bank’s team has supported the expansion of the customer loan portfolio through flexible, innovative financing solutions designed to meet a broad range of customer needs, attract new clients and strengthen ABK-Egypt’s competitive position.
The bank recorded a major expansion in total customer loans over the past 10 years, with the portfolio posting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 30.1 per cent and increasing by EGP 81.3bn to EGP 88.6bn at end-June 2026, from EGP 7.3bn at end-2016.
Growth in the customer loan portfolio was led by a sharp expansion in corporate loans, which recorded a CAGR of 29.6 per cent and increased by EGP 57.2bn over the period, from EGP 5.3bn at end-2016 to EGP 62.5bn at end-June 2026.
Corporate loans accounted for around 70.5 per cent of the total increase in customer loans over the past decade.
Despite the substantial expansion in lending and the dominant contribution of corporate loans, the bank also strengthened the quality of its loan portfolio. The performing loans accounted for 98.5 per cent, supported by a decline in the non-performing loan (NPL) ratio to 1.46 per cent at end-June 2026, from 5.06 per cent at end-2016.
The strong growth in the loan portfolio, alongside the marked decline in non-performing loans, highlights the efficiency of the bank’s management in delivering sustainable growth while maintaining asset quality and managing risk, reinforcing ABK-Egypt’s position as one of the fastest-growing banks in the Egyptian market in recent years.
At the same time, the retail loan portfolio maintained strong momentum as the bank expanded lending to individuals, recording a CAGR of 31.3 per cent and increasing by EGP 24.2bn to EGP 26.1bn at end-June 2026, from EGP 1.97bn at end-2016.
This performance lifted retail loans’ share of total customer loans to 29.5 per cent at end-June 2026, compared with 27 per cent at end-2016.
Overall, the bank recorded exceptional growth rates, with total assets posting a CAGR of 31.1 per cent and increasing by around EGP 181.8bn over the period under review to EGP 196.7bn at end-June 2026, from EGP 15bn at end-2016.
The bank’s customer deposit portfolio expanded more than twelvefold, recording a CAGR of 31.1 per cent and increasing by EGP 149.2bn over the period to EGP 161.6bn at end-June 2026, from EGP 12.4bn at end-2016.
Shareholders’ equity also recorded a CAGR of 30.7 per cent over the past 10 years, reaching EGP 25.8bn at end-June 2026, compared with EGP 2bn at end-2016.
