First Bank unveils the 100 largest Arab banks by customer deposits at end-June 2026

First Bank’s ranking of the 100 largest Arab banks by customer deposits at end-June 2026 revealed a notable reshuffle at the top.

While the same 10 banks retained their places among the largest institutions, differences in deposit growth reshaped several positions within the group.

The changes highlight the growing importance of deposit growth in determining ranking positions. The size of a bank’s deposit base alone is no longer sufficient to preserve its standing, particularly as deposit balances among several leading banks become increasingly close.

Even relatively modest differences in growth rates can therefore alter the competitive landscape.

Qatar National Bank (QNB) retained its position as the largest Arab bank by customer deposits, with a portfolio rising 2.2 per cent to USD 267.02bn at end-June 2026, from USD 261.40bn at end-2025.

Emirates NBD climbed from third to second place after recording the fastest deposit growth among the top 10. Its customer deposits rose 13.5 per cent in the first half of 2026 to USD 242.89bn, from USD 214.01bn at end-2025.

The advance pushed First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) down one place to third. Despite an increase in customer deposits to USD 232.25bn at end-June 2026, from USD 228.92bn at end-2025, FAB recorded growth of just 1.5 per cent, the slowest among the top 10 and insufficient to preserve its previous ranking.

The reshuffle extended to the next positions, with Saudi National Bank (SNB) advancing from fifth to fourth place, supported by 9.6 per cent growth in customer deposits during the first half of 2026.

Its deposit portfolio reached USD 185.82bn at end-June, compared with USD 169.59bn at end-2025.

The advance pushed Al Rajhi Bank down one place to fifth, despite customer deposits rising 3 per cent to USD 183.21bn at end-June 2026, from USD 177.91bn at end-2025.

The contrasting growth rates were sufficient to reverse the two banks’ positions, highlighting how differences in deposit expansion can reshape the ranking even when both institutions continue to grow.

Positions six through eight remained unchanged during the first half of 2026. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) retained sixth place, with customer deposits rising 5.4 per cent to USD 143.39bn at end-June 2026, from USD 136.07bn at end-2025.

National Bank of Egypt (NBE) remained seventh, with a customer deposit portfolio of approximately USD 128.12bn at end-June 2026.

Riyad Bank also maintained its position in eighth place, recording 4.8 per cent growth in customer deposits to USD 92.69bn at end-June, compared with USD 88.44bn at end-2025.

The final two positions among the top 10 also changed, with Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB) advancing one place to ninth.

SAB’s customer deposits increased 5.7 per cent during the first half of 2026 to USD 91.07bn at end-June, from USD 86.19bn at end-2025.

Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), meanwhile, slipped from ninth to 10th despite recording 2.1 per cent growth in customer deposits to USD 89.03bn at end-June 2026, compared with USD 87.18bn at end-2025.

UAE banks accounted for the largest number of institutions in the ranking, with 17 banks collectively holding around 30 per cent of total deposits across the top 100, underscoring the UAE banking sector’s substantial weight in the Arab deposit market.

Egypt ranked second by number of participating banks, with 12 institutions collectively accounting for approximately 8.1 per cent of total deposits.

Jordan followed with 11 banks, representing around 3.6 per cent of total customer deposits across the ranking.

Although Saudi Arabia ranked behind Egypt and Jordan by number of participating institutions, with 10 banks, its share of deposits was considerably larger.

Saudi banks collectively accounted for approximately 25 per cent of total deposits, placing the country second by customer deposit volume.

Kuwait was represented by nine banks, which together accounted for approximately 7.5 per cent of total deposits among the 100 institutions.

The ranking is based on banks’ reported customer deposit balances at end-June 2026, converted into US dollars to ensure a consistent basis of comparison across institutions.

It covers parent banking groups across Arab countries, excluding their overseas branches. Banks without officially disclosed financial data were also excluded to preserve the accuracy and reliability of the methodology.