‎How did corporate loans perform in Saudi banks’ credit portfolios during 2022?

‎How did corporate loans perform in Saudi banks’ credit portfolios during 2022?

Corporate loans accounted for almost 50% of total bank loans in Saudi Arabia in 2022, extending their downtrend as a percentage of total loans for the seventh straight year, according to an Argaam survey covering 10 banks.

Total corporate loans grew by 13% to SAR 1.11 trillion by the end of 2022, from SAR 984.2 billion in 2021, as shown in the following table:

Corporate loans represented 81% of Banque Saudi Fransi’s (BSF) total loan portfolio. They also made up 77% and 75% of The Saudi Investment Bank (SAIB) and Alinma Bank’s loan books, respectively.

Saudi National Bank (SNB) and Riyad Bank topped the list by corporate lending, with 19% and 14% of the sector's total loans, respectively.

Al Rajhi Bank recorded the highest growth rate in corporate lending, with a 59% rise year-on-year (YoY) in corporate loans to SAR 138.3 billion last year. It was followed by SAIB with 25%, and Bank AlJazira (17%), as shown in the following table:

In terms of the corporate segment’s profit, all banks reported profit growth in 2022. Bank Albilad came on top with a 537% surge YoY in net profit to SAR 830.8 million. It was followed by SABB with 221% YoY profit growth.

Meanwhile, Bank AlJazira’s corporate