Company Insights Saudi Awwal Bank Banking & Finance Saudi Awwal Bank Overview Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB) is a Riyadh-based Saudi joint stock company in which global banking group HSBC owns a minority stake. The bank traces its origins to the British Bank of the Middle East which was acquired by HSBC in 1959. In response to restrictions on foreign ownership of banks in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arab British Bank (SABB) was created in 1978 to manage HSBC branches and assets in the country. In May 2018, prompted by recent changes to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic reforms, SABB announced its intention to acquire Alawwal Bank in the Saudi banking sector’s first merger in 20 years. The official legal merger of Saudi British Bank and Alawwal Bank was completed in June 2019, making the two banks one legal entity. The bank adopted its current name following the completion of the merger. Saudi Awwal Bank is one of the five largest Saudi banks by deposits and has over 80 branches across Saudi Arabia and one branch in London. It offers services in investment banking, commercial banking, private banking and Islamic banking. Subsidiaries include HSBC Saudi Arabia, SAB Islamic Financial Solutions, SAB Insurance Agency Limited, SAB Insurance Services Limited, SAB Securities Limited and SAB Takaful. Saudi Awwal Bank News Construction Emaar EC reschedules loan with consortium of Saudi banks Emaar the Economic City (Emaar EC), the developer of King Abdullah Economic City, has signed an agreement with four Saudi banks to reschedule a total of SAR3.4 billion ($904 million) in existing financing. The agreement also includes securing a new credit facility of SAR287 million from Alinma Bank, Saudi Awwal Bank, Banque Saudi Fransi and […] April 29, 2025 Finance International investors target Saudi IPOs and smaller caps Emerging market investors are increasingly targeting Saudi Arabia’s smaller listed companies and initial public offerings, because of their better stock price performance versus their bigger peers. Since early 2020, foreign investors have been net buyers of almost $34 billion of Saudi Arabian equities, a report by the Dubai-based consultancy Iridium Advisors has revealed. Much of […] March 24, 2025 Banking & Finance Saudi Arabia’s biggest bank wants wealthy depositors back Saudi Arabia’s largest bank by assets is trying to woo back wealthy customers after losing many since a merger in 2021. SNB, or Saudi National Bank, is a merger of National Commercial Bank and Samba Financial Group, formerly known as the Saudi American Bank. It has underperformed against its major domestic rivals, reporting comparatively lower […] February 14, 2025 Construction Banks vying to fund Roshn’s Saudi expansion Saudi real estate developer Roshn, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is reporting strong interest from banks eager to finance its projects, and demand is so high that some lenders have been turned away, according to a senior executive. In contrast to this momentum, Saudi Arabia’s other giga-projects face financing constraints, with resources […] November 14, 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 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 Construction PIF-backed Roshn raises $2.4bn for expansion Saudi Arabian giga-project developer Roshn has secured a new SAR9 billion ($2.4 billion) credit facility from a consortium of locally-listed banks. The loan will support the developer’s expansion and growth plans over the next five years, state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. “We intend to use these funds to further advance our ambitious strategy in the […] October 2, 2024 Markets Emaar EC’s new strategy to steer financial recovery Emaar the Economic City (Emaar EC), the master developer of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in Saudi Arabia, has initiated a SAR8.7 billion ($2.3 billion) turnaround plan a month after its first-half 2024 losses showed an almost five-fold increase from 2023. A capital optimisation plan will allow the Saudi-listed company to restructure its SAR3.8 billion in bank facilities. […] September 9, 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 Posts navigation 1 2 3 Next
Construction Emaar EC reschedules loan with consortium of Saudi banks Emaar the Economic City (Emaar EC), the developer of King Abdullah Economic City, has signed an agreement with four Saudi banks to reschedule a total of SAR3.4 billion ($904 million) in existing financing. The agreement also includes securing a new credit facility of SAR287 million from Alinma Bank, Saudi Awwal Bank, Banque Saudi Fransi and […] April 29, 2025
Finance International investors target Saudi IPOs and smaller caps Emerging market investors are increasingly targeting Saudi Arabia’s smaller listed companies and initial public offerings, because of their better stock price performance versus their bigger peers. Since early 2020, foreign investors have been net buyers of almost $34 billion of Saudi Arabian equities, a report by the Dubai-based consultancy Iridium Advisors has revealed. Much of […] March 24, 2025
Banking & Finance Saudi Arabia’s biggest bank wants wealthy depositors back Saudi Arabia’s largest bank by assets is trying to woo back wealthy customers after losing many since a merger in 2021. SNB, or Saudi National Bank, is a merger of National Commercial Bank and Samba Financial Group, formerly known as the Saudi American Bank. It has underperformed against its major domestic rivals, reporting comparatively lower […] February 14, 2025
Construction Banks vying to fund Roshn’s Saudi expansion Saudi real estate developer Roshn, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is reporting strong interest from banks eager to finance its projects, and demand is so high that some lenders have been turned away, according to a senior executive. In contrast to this momentum, Saudi Arabia’s other giga-projects face financing constraints, with resources […] November 14, 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
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
Construction PIF-backed Roshn raises $2.4bn for expansion Saudi Arabian giga-project developer Roshn has secured a new SAR9 billion ($2.4 billion) credit facility from a consortium of locally-listed banks. The loan will support the developer’s expansion and growth plans over the next five years, state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. “We intend to use these funds to further advance our ambitious strategy in the […] October 2, 2024
Markets Emaar EC’s new strategy to steer financial recovery Emaar the Economic City (Emaar EC), the master developer of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in Saudi Arabia, has initiated a SAR8.7 billion ($2.3 billion) turnaround plan a month after its first-half 2024 losses showed an almost five-fold increase from 2023. A capital optimisation plan will allow the Saudi-listed company to restructure its SAR3.8 billion in bank facilities. […] September 9, 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
