Banking

Having posted another year of positive results, Saudi Arabia’s banking sector is positioning itself to take advantage of the government’s expansionist fiscal policy and the large number of projects this has created. In the meantime, opportunities in other areas of the lending landscape are being explored, most notably among the nation’s smaller businesses. An ongoing process of regulatory reform and intense competition continue to present challenges to the Kingdom’s banks, but the underlying stability of the sector means that they can be tackled from a position of strength. This chapter contains interviews with Fahad Al Mubarak, Governor, Saudi Arabia Monetary Agency (SAMA); Bernd van Linder, Managing Director, Saudi Hollandi Bank; and Patrice Couvegnes, Managing Director, Banque Saudi Fransi.