QNB tops First Bank’s 100 largest banks in MENA ranking at end-June 2026
Qatar National Bank (QNB) Group strengthened its position in the regional banking landscape, topping First Bank’s ranking of the 100 largest banks in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by total assets at end-June 2026.
The group’s leadership was supported by notable asset growth and the continued expansion of its banking operations.
First Bank’s ranking revealed that QNB regained the leading position it had lost for the first time in its history at end-Q4 2025, climbing from second place at end-2025 to first at end-June 2026.
The group’s total assets rose 3.7 per cent during H1 2026 to USD 394.72bn, from USD 380.67bn at end-2025.
The advance reflects QNB Group’s continued ability to expand its business and strengthen its financial position, supporting its return to the top of First Bank’s ranking of MENA’s largest banking institutions by total assets.
QNB’s assets surpass USD 400bn at end-September 2026
QNB Group’s asset growth continued beyond the first half of the year, with its balance sheet expanding further during Q3 2026 as total assets exceeded USD 400bn for the first time.
The group’s total assets reached USD 401.59bn at end-September 2026, compared with USD 394.72bn at end-June, representing growth of 1.7 per cent.
Over the first nine months of 2026, total assets increased 5.5 per cent, adding USD 20.92bn from USD 380.67bn at end-2025.
The expansion highlights the sustained growth of QNB Group’s financial position throughout the first nine months of 2026, extending the positive momentum that underpinned its return to the top of the regional ranking at end-June.
Customer loans drive asset expansion in 9M 2026
An examination of the group’s principal balance-sheet components shows that growth in customer loans and credit facilities was among the main contributors to asset expansion during the first nine months of 2026.
Customer loans and facilities increased 4.5 per cent to USD 291.09bn at end-September 2026, from USD 278.54bn at end-2025, an increase of approximately USD 12.55bn.
The increase was equivalent to around 60 per cent of the group’s total asset growth over the same period, highlighting the significant contribution of credit expansion to the development of its financial position.
Customer loans and facilities also accounted for approximately 72.5 per cent of QNB Group’s total assets at end-September 2026, reflecting the central role of lending within its asset structure.
On the funding side, customer deposits rose 2.8 per cent during the first nine months of 2026 to USD 268.71bn at end-September, from USD 261.40bn at end-2025, an increase of approximately USD 7.31bn.
