Company Insights Alrajhi Bank Banking & Finance Latest Alrajhi Bank DevelopmentsAI Insights Al Rajhi Bank has been actively engaged in various sectors within Saudi Arabia. As a key player in the recent developments of Arabian Mills, Al Rajhi Bank, alongside Saudi Awwal Bank and Banque Saudi Fransi, has assumed the role of receiving agent for retail investors in the company's initial public offering. Arabian Mills aims to sell 30 percent of its share capital on the Saudi stock exchange to accelerate its growth in the flour and food products market 1. In the healthcare sector, Al Rajhi Bank has extended a 13-year sharia-compliant credit facility worth SAR1.3 billion to Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Services Group Company. This long-term financing will support the expansion of healthcare facilities across Saudi Arabia, responding to the increasing demand for healthcare services 2. The bank reported a robust first-quarter performance in 2024, with net profit rising by 6 percent compared to the previous year, driven by an increase in operating income. However, operating expenses also grew, primarily due to higher impairment charges for financing 3. In the broader economic climate, the International Monetary Fund's positive report on Saudi Arabia's banking sector underscores a favourable medium-term outlook for banks like Al Rajhi. The report highlights the banks' resilience and capacity to manage rapid credit growth, which aligns with the kingdom's Vision 2030 objectives 4. Al Rajhi Capital has observed a subdued demand for cement in Saudi Arabia during 2023, attributed to high inflation and interest rates. Despite this, demand is expected to rebound, supported by the development and execution of mega and giga-projects 5. Alrajhi Bank Overview Alrajhi Bank was founded in 1957 by four brothers, Saleh, Sulaiman, Mohamed and Abdullah Alrajhi. It initially began as a group of banking and commercial operations which, in 1978, joined together under the umbrella of the Alrajhi Trading and Exchange Company. This became a joint stock company in 1987, and was rebranded as the Alrajhi Banking and Investment Corporation two years later. In 2006 the bank rebranded itself as Alrajhi Bank. In the same year, it launched its first foreign subsidiary, Alrajhi Bank Malaysia. Today Alrajhi Bank has over 600 branches – most in Saudi Arabia but with a presence in Kuwait and Jordan – and assets under management of $223 billion. Alrajhi Bank is the largest retail bank in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, serving more than 16.5 million customers, and the world’s largest Islamic bank by capital. It is also one of the top 10 largest Saudi employers. Taded on the Tadawul, around 75 percent of Alrajhi Bank’s shares are publicly owned. Alrajhi family members are the bank’s largest shareholders. Alrajhi Bank News Analysis Banking & Finance Liquidity squeeze deepens for Saudi Arabia’s banks Liquidity in Saudi Arabia’s banking sector has tightened again as lending increased more quickly than deposits in the third quarter. The loan-to-deposit ratio among Saudi Arabia’s 10 largest banks was 100.1 percent in Q3, up from 97.8 percent in the previous three months, according to management consultancy Alvarez & Marsal. Loans and advances at the […] December 3, 2024 Aviation Startup airline Riyadh Air secures $1.3bn credit facility Riyadh Air, the Saudi airline that is due to start operations next year, signed a SAR5 billion ($1.3 billion) credit facility with a syndicate of banks on Wednesday, as it announced an order for 60 more aircraft. The kingdom’s second flag carrier, owned by the PIF sovereign wealth fund, has closed an inaugural Islamic revolving […] October 31, 2024 Banking & Finance Rate cuts will put pressure on Gulf banks’ margins September’s benchmark interest rate reductions came too late to affect Gulf banks’ third-quarter earnings to a meaningful extent, although the longer-term impact on lenders’ net interest margins will be negative. In mid-September the Federal Reserve cut the benchmark US interest rate by 50 basis points to 5 percent, its first reduction since late 2018. The […] October 25, 2024 Analysis Banking & Finance Analysts expect ‘mixed’ picture from Gulf banks’ Q3 results The Gulf’s largest banks are likely to report mixed earnings for the third quarter, analysts say, as pressure on margins lessens the benefit of lending growth. Qatar National Bank and Dubai’s Emirates NBD – the Middle East and Africa’s largest and fifth largest banks by assets – have already published Q3 results. QNB’s profit rose […] October 23, 2024 Opinion Banking & Finance IMF proves Saudi banks have reasons for optimism Over the long term the kingdom’s banks will benefit from the scale of spending on Vision 2030 projects October 23, 2024 Health Sulaiman Al Habib secures $347m loan for Saudi expansion Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Services Group Company has secured long-term financing to expand across Saudi Arabia amid growing competition for healthcare services in the kingdom. The company, which trades on the Saudi stock exchange, has signed a sharia-compliant credit facility worth SAR1.3 billion ($347 million) with Al Rajhi Bank, a Saudi-listed lender. The 13-year-long facility will […] October 1, 2024 Giga-projects Five Saudi banks to finance cultural development fund Five Saudi banks have agreed to provide financing for a new arts fund managed by Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Development Fund, which has been leading government support for the arts since 2021. The agreement with Al-Rajhi Bank, Alinma Bank, Banque Saudi Fransi, Arab National Bank and Bank Aljazira will provide support to private sector projects in […] August 22, 2024 Markets Arabian Mills to float 30% of its stake on Saudi bourse Arabian Mills for Food Products Company (Arabian Mills) will sell 15.4 million shares, or 30 percent of its share capital, on the Saudi stock exchange. The sale comprises existing shares by Abdulaziz Al-Ajlan Sons for Trading and Real Estate Investment Company (Ajlan & Bros), Sulaiman Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi International Company, and National Agricultural Development Company (NADEC). […] August 22, 2024 Oil & Gas $3bn new funding to propel PIF-backed Ades expansion Saudi oil and gas driller Ades Holding has secured an additional $3 billion from local and regional banks to support potential acquisitions and organic growth. The Public Investment Fund (PIF)-backed company has upsized its existing syndicate facility through a standby term tranche of $2.7 billion and a revolving credit facility tranche of $300 million. The standby […] July 15, 2024 Banking & Finance Saudi banks’ profits fall as interest margins are squeezed Combined profits in April at Saudi Arabia’s banks fell 3.3 percent compared with March, to SAR6.7 billion ($1.9 billion), the lowest monthly total since last November’s SAR6.1 billion, central bank data shows. Nevertheless, banks total profits for January to April was SAR27.4 billion, up from SAR24.8 billion for the same period in 2023, a report […] May 30, 2024 Posts navigation 1 2 … 4 Next
Analysis Banking & Finance Liquidity squeeze deepens for Saudi Arabia’s banks Liquidity in Saudi Arabia’s banking sector has tightened again as lending increased more quickly than deposits in the third quarter. The loan-to-deposit ratio among Saudi Arabia’s 10 largest banks was 100.1 percent in Q3, up from 97.8 percent in the previous three months, according to management consultancy Alvarez & Marsal. Loans and advances at the […] December 3, 2024
Aviation Startup airline Riyadh Air secures $1.3bn credit facility Riyadh Air, the Saudi airline that is due to start operations next year, signed a SAR5 billion ($1.3 billion) credit facility with a syndicate of banks on Wednesday, as it announced an order for 60 more aircraft. The kingdom’s second flag carrier, owned by the PIF sovereign wealth fund, has closed an inaugural Islamic revolving […] October 31, 2024
Banking & Finance Rate cuts will put pressure on Gulf banks’ margins September’s benchmark interest rate reductions came too late to affect Gulf banks’ third-quarter earnings to a meaningful extent, although the longer-term impact on lenders’ net interest margins will be negative. In mid-September the Federal Reserve cut the benchmark US interest rate by 50 basis points to 5 percent, its first reduction since late 2018. The […] October 25, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance Analysts expect ‘mixed’ picture from Gulf banks’ Q3 results The Gulf’s largest banks are likely to report mixed earnings for the third quarter, analysts say, as pressure on margins lessens the benefit of lending growth. Qatar National Bank and Dubai’s Emirates NBD – the Middle East and Africa’s largest and fifth largest banks by assets – have already published Q3 results. QNB’s profit rose […] October 23, 2024
Opinion Banking & Finance IMF proves Saudi banks have reasons for optimism Over the long term the kingdom’s banks will benefit from the scale of spending on Vision 2030 projects October 23, 2024
Health Sulaiman Al Habib secures $347m loan for Saudi expansion Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Services Group Company has secured long-term financing to expand across Saudi Arabia amid growing competition for healthcare services in the kingdom. The company, which trades on the Saudi stock exchange, has signed a sharia-compliant credit facility worth SAR1.3 billion ($347 million) with Al Rajhi Bank, a Saudi-listed lender. The 13-year-long facility will […] October 1, 2024
Giga-projects Five Saudi banks to finance cultural development fund Five Saudi banks have agreed to provide financing for a new arts fund managed by Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Development Fund, which has been leading government support for the arts since 2021. The agreement with Al-Rajhi Bank, Alinma Bank, Banque Saudi Fransi, Arab National Bank and Bank Aljazira will provide support to private sector projects in […] August 22, 2024
Markets Arabian Mills to float 30% of its stake on Saudi bourse Arabian Mills for Food Products Company (Arabian Mills) will sell 15.4 million shares, or 30 percent of its share capital, on the Saudi stock exchange. The sale comprises existing shares by Abdulaziz Al-Ajlan Sons for Trading and Real Estate Investment Company (Ajlan & Bros), Sulaiman Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi International Company, and National Agricultural Development Company (NADEC). […] August 22, 2024
Oil & Gas $3bn new funding to propel PIF-backed Ades expansion Saudi oil and gas driller Ades Holding has secured an additional $3 billion from local and regional banks to support potential acquisitions and organic growth. The Public Investment Fund (PIF)-backed company has upsized its existing syndicate facility through a standby term tranche of $2.7 billion and a revolving credit facility tranche of $300 million. The standby […] July 15, 2024
Banking & Finance Saudi banks’ profits fall as interest margins are squeezed Combined profits in April at Saudi Arabia’s banks fell 3.3 percent compared with March, to SAR6.7 billion ($1.9 billion), the lowest monthly total since last November’s SAR6.1 billion, central bank data shows. Nevertheless, banks total profits for January to April was SAR27.4 billion, up from SAR24.8 billion for the same period in 2023, a report […] May 30, 2024
