Dubai: The profitability outlook for Saudi banks showed signs of improvement as increased operating income and reduced provisioning supported return ratios, said an analysis of third quarter results by professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M).
“While we have witnessed an overall improvement in profitability this quarter, the near-term outlook for Saudi banks looks bearish,” said Asad Ahmed, A&M Managing Director and Head of Middle East Financial Services.
“The Saudi government’s announcement to cut budget spending by 7.5 per cent in 2021 could have a spill-over effect in other sections of economy.”
Balance sheet growth
Saudi Arabia’s top 10 banks reported an increase in loans and advances which grew at a faster pace in Q3 2020 (3 per cent quarter on quarter, compared to 1.9 per cent in the previous quarter.
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