Riyad Bank profit hits 8.13 billion riyals, up 4.6%
Riyad Bank posted nine-month net profit of 8.13 billion riyals, a 4.6% rise over 2025.
· Last verified: 21 Oct 2026 (Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) disclosure, Argaam)
Summary
- Riyad Bank posted nine-month net profit of 8.13 billion riyals, a 4.6% rise over 2025.
- Third-quarter profit climbed 6.6% year-on-year to 2.87 billion riyals, beating the prior quarter by 8.2%.
- Trading and commission income absorbed a 25% jump in credit-loss provisions, keeping growth intact.
The latest
Riyad Bank's net profit attributable to shareholders reached 8.13 billion riyals, roughly 2.17 billion dollars, for the nine months ended 30 September 2026, up 4.611% from 7.77 billion a year earlier, according to its filing on the Saudi Exchange on Wednesday. Operating profit rose 4.983% to 14.4 billion riyals, and earnings per share improved to 1.92 riyals from 1.85.
Details
- Quarterly line: Third-quarter net profit came in at 2,865,749 thousand riyals against 2,687,401 thousand a year earlier, a 6.636% increase, according to the disclosure. Measured against the second quarter's 2,649,028 thousand riyals, the gain was 8.181%, making it the strongest quarter of the year so far.
- What drove it: The bank attributed the quarterly rise to higher total operating income, supported by net trading income, net special commission income, net currency conversion income and dividend income. It said the gain was partly offset by an increase in total operating expenses, without breaking down that cost line.
- Provisions: Net provision for expected credit losses and other losses rose 25.017% in the quarter to 420,064 thousand riyals, according to the filing. The jump outpaced profit growth, but remained small enough against operating income that it did not reverse the quarterly increase.
- Balance sheet: Total assets stood at 545,349,466 thousand riyals, up 7.295%. The loans and advances portfolio reached 385,434,329 thousand riyals, a 4.58% rise, while customer deposits grew a slower 1.229% to 329,414,523 thousand riyals, widening the gap between lending and deposit growth.
- Investment surge: Investments climbed 20.95% to 89,821,131 thousand riyals, the fastest-growing line on the balance sheet and more than four times the pace of loan growth. Total shareholders' equity rose 8.418% to 66,752,892 thousand riyals.
- The soft spot: Total comprehensive income attributable to shareholders fell 12.649% over the nine months to 7,326,294 thousand riyals, a decline that runs opposite to the reported net profit increase. The filing did not itemize the components behind the drop.
- SME position: In a press statement carried by Argaam the same day, the bank said its market share in financing small and medium enterprises reached 26%, placing it among the largest lenders to the segment in the Saudi market.
- New financing deal: The bank said it signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Technology Development Program for a financing portfolio worth 3.75 billion riyals. It did not disclose a disbursement timetable or the terms attached to the facility.
Between the lines
The quarter's gains lean on trading, currency conversion and dividend income rather than on core lending, where the loan book grew 4.58%. With deposits up only 1.229% and investments up 20.95%, the balance sheet is tilting toward securities, which makes the earnings line more sensitive to market conditions than a deposit-funded loan book would be.
What's next
Audited full-year results and the board's dividend recommendation are the next markers, alongside any disclosure on drawdowns under the 3.75 billion riyal technology financing portfolio and the trajectory of credit-loss provisions.