Please wait...
GulfBase Live Support
- Saudi banks well positioned to weather economic shocks: Fitch
- Qatar to Invest Hundreds of Millions to Support Lebanon
- stc wins in two categories at Global Business Outlook Awards 2025
- OPEC+ may keep its pause on oil output increases as prices climb
- Bahrain All Share Index marks 2,051.57 points
- Digital City Bahrain awards design, lead consultancy contract for Trio Park
- World Bank Says Saudi Arabia Partnership Turns Policies into Economic Opportunities
- Kuwait scraps oil tenders worth $10bn after bids exceed budget
- Deal signed for wind turbine plant in Duqm
- Madayn plans 98 projects over next 5 years
27/01/2026 06:46 AST
Saudi banks' credit profiles remain solid, with financial metrics displaying lower sensitivity to economic downturns than most GCC peers, said Fitch Ratings in a new report.
The Saudi operating environment is favourable, as reflected in our 'bbb+' score, which is the highest in the GCC (along with the UAE).
It is underpinned by still-high government spending, ongoing economic diversification and non-oil growth under Vision 2030, as well as progress on giga projects.
Saudi banks have grown at roughly twice the GCC average since the pandemic, though growth began moderating in H2 last year.
"We estimate full-year 2025 growth remained strong at about 13%, but expect growth to slow to 10%-11% in 2026. This moderation will reflect natural credit saturation after several years of rapid expansion, and increased competition for funding, which drove a 30bp increase in the sector-average cost of funding in 3Q25 versus 2024 despite interest rate cuts and more stringent capital regulation," stated Fitch in its review.
"We continue to view funding and liquidity as rating strengths for Saudi banks, despite tighter liquidity, and expect this to remain the case in 2026. Banks have preserved meaningful liquidity buffers and strong access to diverse funding sources. This supports resilience at a time of moderating growth and in a more competitive deposit landscape," it added.
Trade Arabia
| Ticker | Price | Volume |
|---|
27/01/2026
Gas-rich Qatar on Monday announced investments in Lebanon worth hundreds of millions of dollars to improve the crisis-hit nation's crumbling electricity sector and to continue support for the Lebanes
Asharq Al Awsat
27/01/2026
Digital City Bahrain has announced the appointment of Brewer Smith Brewer Group (BSBG) as the design architect and lead consultant for Trio Park, the first phase of Digital City Bahrain, which will b
Trade Arabia
27/01/2026
World Bank Group Vice President for the People Vice Presidency Dr. Mamta Murthi affirmed that the partnership between Saudi Arabia and the World Bank serves as an effective model for turning evidence
Asharq Al Awsat
27/01/2026
Kuwait has cancelled oil sector tenders worth nearly $10 billion after contractors submitted bids far above the government's approved budget, in a move highlighting rising project costs and tighter f
Trade Arabia
27/01/2026
The Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ) on Monday signed a usufruct agreement with Mawarid Turbine to establish a wind turbine manufacturing and assembly plant in the Sp
Muscat Daily
Financial Information Co.
Saudi Arabia