First Bank ranks the 100 largest Arab banks by total assets

First Bank’s ranking of the 100 largest Arab banks by total assets at end-June 2026 revealed a reshuffle among the region’s leading institutions.

While the same 10 banks retained their places at the top, differences in asset growth altered several positions, highlighting the increasingly close competition among the region’s largest lenders.

Qatar National Bank (QNB) reclaimed first place after losing the lead for the first time at end-2025, as its assets rose 3.7 per cent during the first half of 2026 to USD 394.72bn, from USD 380.67bn at end-2025.

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) slipped to second place as its assets grew just 0.4 per cent to USD 383.57bn, from USD 382.23bn over the same period. While FAB continued to expand, its slower growth allowed its Qatari rival to regain the lead.

Emirates NBD climbed from fourth to third place, recording the fastest asset growth among the top 10, with assets surging 13.6 per cent during the first half of 2026 to USD 360.08bn, from USD 317.04bn at end-2025.

Saudi National Bank (SNB), meanwhile, slipped from third to fourth place despite a 2.7 per cent increase in assets to USD 331.28bn at end-June 2026, from USD 322.61bn at end-2025.

The change illustrates how differences in growth rates reshaped the ranking, with Emirates NBD’s faster expansion lifting it ahead of SNB despite growth at both institutions.

Al Rajhi Bank retained fifth place, with assets edging up 0.93 per cent to USD 280.73bn at end-June 2026, from USD 278.15bn at end-2025.

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) held sixth place after recording 7.7 per cent asset growth during the first half of the year, taking its total assets to USD 226.86bn, compared with USD 210.64bn at end-2025.

National Bank of Egypt (NBE) maintained seventh place, with total assets of USD 197.98bn at end-June 2026, retaining its position among the region’s largest banking institutions.

National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) also held its position in eighth place, with assets rising 1.4 per cent to USD 150.16bn at end-June 2026, from USD 148.14bn at end-2025.

Further down the ranking, Riyad Bank advanced from 10th to ninth place after its assets grew 2.6 per cent to USD 142.03bn at end-June 2026, compared with USD 138.50bn at end-2025.

Kuwait Finance House (KFH) moved in the opposite direction, slipping from ninth to 10th place as its assets declined 1.3 per cent to USD 137.11bn, from USD 138.88bn over the same period.

UAE banks maintained the largest representation in the ranking, with 17 banks accounting for approximately 28 per cent of the combined assets of the 100 largest Arab banks.

Egypt and Jordan followed with 11 banks each, although their shares of total assets differed considerably. Egyptian banks accounted for approximately 7.7 per cent of the total, compared with 3.3 per cent for their Jordanian counterparts.

Saudi Arabia ranked behind the three countries by the number of banks represented, with 10 institutions. However, its banks collectively held approximately 24.8 per cent of the ranking’s total assets, giving the Kingdom the second-largest share after the UAE.

Kuwait was represented by nine banks, which together accounted for approximately 8.8 per cent of the combined assets of the 100 largest Arab banks.

The ranking is based on banks’ reported total assets at end-June 2026, converted into US dollars to ensure a consistent basis for comparison.

Banks lacking official financial data were excluded to ensure the ranking’s reliability. The ranking covers parent banking groups across the Arab region, excluding their overseas branches.