Saudi lenders gear up for corporate growth
13 March 2024
MEED's April 2024 special report on Saudi Arabia includes:
> GVT & ECONOMY: Saudi Arabia seeks diversification amid regional tensions
> UPSTREAM: Aramco spending drawdown to jolt oil projects
> DOWNSTREAM: Master Gas System spending stimulates Saudi downstream sector
> POWER: Riyadh to sustain power spending
> WATER: Growth inevitable for the Saudi water sector
> CONSTRUCTION: Saudi gigaprojects propel construction sector
> TRANSPORT: Saudi Arabia’s transport sector offers prospects
As Saudi Arabia’s once rapacious mortgage market slows down, lenders in the kingdom are building up their corporate loan books.
Banks’ exposure to the retail market is steadily reducing as the growth of the mortgage market – the big driver of credit growth in recent years – abates. Saudi lenders reported mortgage lending growth of 8% in the first nine months of 2023, compared to 19% in September 2022.
And where once the split between new business booked by Saudi banks was weighted 60:40 on retail and corporate, the split in 2023 was 50:50.
“We have noticed a decrease in Casa (current account and savings accounts). It used to be almost 70% a couple of years ago, but now it is close to 50%, and it means that the cost of funding is growing too,” says Anton Lopatin, senior director, financial institutions at Fitch Ratings.
Changing landscape
One component of this is the moderation of mortgage financing on the back of tightening subsidies and higher interest rates. “In general, the affordability of mortgage financing is less now and we see banks switching their focus to corporate lending. There’s a bit of reshuffling going on and we think that about 60% of the financing growth in 2024 will be from the corporate sector,” says Lopatin.
While Saudi Arabia's Vison 2030 projects have yet make little impact on local banks’ loan books, the expectation is that this will change, and that major economic diversification initiatives will yield good business for Saudi banks.
In the meantime, these lenders must deal with some near-term challenges in 2024, notably higher liquidity – a contrast to the situation in 2022, when financing growth of 14% outpaced deposit growth at 9%, and higher interest rates intensified competition for funding, according to Fitch Ratings. Data from the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (Sama) shows that the kingdom’s money supply surged 10% in January 2024 to reach SR2.72tn ($726bn).
That growth was primarily driven by a significant rise in banks’ term and savings accounts, which recorded a rise of 31% to reach SR864.32bn ($230.4bn). These deposits have attracted savings looking for higher yields.
Government reallocation
Another trend has been that government-related entities (GREs) have made moves to increase deposits in the banking system. According to Fitch, liquidity has been supported by increased deposit inflows from GREs, which grew by SAR147bn ($39.2) or 23% in the 12 months to the end of October 2023. Another ratings agency, S&P, noted that the contribution of government and GRE deposits increased to 30% of the total by 2023 from almost 20% in 2020.
According to Fitch, these inflows are mainly term deposits, which are an expensive source of funding for banks. This increase, plus higher competition for funding, has significantly raised the average cost of funding for Saudi banks; it rose to 2.7% in the first nine months of 2023, compared to just 0.4% in 2021.
“There’s been a change in how the Saudi authorities are managing GRE liquidity,” says Lopatin, who notes that GREs are now choosing to invest their surplus liquidity in higher income-generating deposits with commercial banks, rather than with Sama.
“Since July last year, we’ve seen a significant increase in government-related deposits in the banking sector. And we understand they have adjusted this approach, and now the government entities directly deposit with banks, instead of using the central bank as an additional chain into distribution of liquidity. That is also more efficient.”
Challenging conditions
Banking conditions in Saudi Arabia are looking more challenging in 2024 than in previous years. As Fitch notes, Saudi banks on average saw financing growth slightly above 10% for 2023, and the expectation is that growth will also be about 10% in 2024 – below the expansion of 14% seen in 2022.
Some banks that used to have stronger net margins have reported declines because of the focus on mortgage financing –which is under fixed rates in the kingdom – in conjunction with an increased cost of funding on the back of a declining proportion of Casa accounts. For example, Al Rajhi Banking & Investment Corporation reported that funding costs increased by 74% in year-on-year terms in 2023.
“Al Rajhi’s margins were under pressure last year but are now roughly in line with the sector average of 3.2%,” says Lopatin.
In general, UAE banks reported stronger margins than Saudi banks in 2023, says Lopatin. This is because, in combination with tightening liquidity, Saudi lenders have less ability to manage their margins.
Corporate lending in the kingdom will likely receive a boost from Vision 2030 projects.
“We expect more Vision 2030-related financing to appear on banks’ books this year. It’s still not very material, but most banks want to participate as they see these projects as having a decent balance between risk and reward,” says Lopatin.
Rating agency S&P has said that Saudi banks will need stronger access to international capital to sustain growth and continue financing projects related to Vision 2030. For now, the dependence of Saudi banks on external funding is limited.
Over the long-term, if Saudi banks do build more external debt, that could pose another challenge. International investors now have sustainability at the centre of their investment mandates, and local lenders will also need to look more seriously at their own sustainability metrics.
For example, last year, a panel of UN-appointed human rights specialists was reported to have sent letters to Saudi Aramco and financiers including Citi, Goldman Sachs and BNP Paribas, noting that their financing of the state energy company may be in violation of global human rights rules due to the company’s contribution to climate change. The letter urged the banks to take reasonable steps to prevent or mitigate the impact.
If Saudi banks do become major lenders to Vision 2030 schemes, and therefore need to source funds from outside the kingdom, they too will have to acclimatise to the new global reality – even if that is not a pressing requirement right now.
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Operational resilience is now the Gulf’s real energy test
7 April 2026
For the past few weeks, the Gulf energy story has been told mostly through the lens of damage. That is understandable. We have seen attacks on industrial sites, ports and tankers, while the Strait of Hormuz remains the key constraint on exports and recovery. Around a fifth of global oil normally passes through the strait, and the latest attacks have again underlined how exposed regional and global markets remain to disruption in that corridor.
But the more useful question now is not simply what has been hit. It is what still works, what can be rerouted, and how fast operators can adjust.
Impact scale
The current estimate is that the physical impact of this conflict now likely exceeds the energy industry impairments sustained during the 1990-91 Gulf War, including both physical damage and business interruption. This is a serious shock, and it will feed through into global inflation, insurance pricing, financing costs and downstream supply chains.
This is why the story extends beyond oil and gas. Metals, aluminium and petrochemicals are part of the same resilience test. In energy-intensive industries, even a short interruption to power or logistics can create outsized losses. Aluminium is a clear example. Once power is curtailed for too long, the restart problem becomes expensive very quickly.
But that does not mean the Gulf’s energy system has been structurally broken. A great deal of productive capacity, logistics infrastructure and operational capability remains in place. The real question is not whether the region can function at all, but how far operators can adapt, reroute and preserve output while the disruption continues.
The physical impact of this conflict now likely exceeds the energy industry impairments sustained during the 1990-91 Gulf War
What gives me some confidence is that the region is not standing still. Good operators are doing what good operators tend to do under pressure. They are changing production plans, prioritising domestic demand where needed, rerouting logistics and shifting product slates. In petrochemicals, some producers can move from liquid output to solid output, which is easier to truck overland and export through alternative routes. In plain terms, they are trying to keep molecules moving.
Others are bringing planned maintenance forward. If an asset cannot export efficiently today, using this period for a turnaround can preserve future production once routes reopen. That does not remove the loss, but it can turn part of it into a timing effect rather than a permanent one.
Risk management
Insurance is part of that resilience equation, too. Cover is never uniform across the market, because it reflects each operator’s risk appetite. Some businesses are well protected, while others have chosen to retain more risk. In these situations, more proactive risk management actions may be preferred, such as moving inventory, reducing throughput and process operating severity [intensity] to add resiliency to energy infrastructure in case of damage.
Prior investment in resilience is also showing its value more broadly. That includes pipeline networks, flexible logistics, broader product portfolios, experienced operating teams and, in some cases, stronger risk transfer strategies. The businesses under the most pressure are those still heavily reliant on moving bulk liquids through constrained maritime channels and with fewer options when disruption hits. Those with more routes, products and risk flexibility are coping better.
None of this should be mistaken for complacency. Recovery will take time. Even when conditions improve, shipping patterns will not normalise overnight. The losses are real, and the fallout will be global. But this is no longer only a damage story. It is a test of operational resilience, and so far the region is showing it has more of that than many assume.
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Adnoc Gas to rally UAE downstream project spending
7 April 2026
Despite the impact of recent Iranian attacks on its assets, the gas processing business of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Gas) is on course to emerge as the largest spending entity in the UAE’s downstream oil and gas sector this year.
Adnoc Group created Adnoc Gas, which began operating as a commercial entity in 2023, through the merger of its former subsidiaries Adnoc Gas Processing and Adnoc LNG. The consolidation of Adnoc’s gas processing and liquefied natural gas (LNG) operations formed one of the world’s largest gas processing entities, with a capacity of about 10 billion standard cubic feet a day (cf/d) across eight onshore and offshore sites, including Asab, Bab, Bu Hasa, Habshan and Ruwais.
The scale of its infrastructure – particularly its 3,250-kilometre pipeline network, which is being expanded under the $3bn Estidama project – positions Adnoc Gas as a critical enabler of both domestic industrial growth and export competitiveness.
Resilience amid geopolitical risk
The recent drone-related disruptions highlight the growing exposure of Gulf energy infrastructure to regional conflict. However, the limited operational impact reported by Adnoc Gas suggests a high degree of system redundancy and resilience, supported by networked infrastructure and diversified processing capacity.
This resilience is crucial as the company pushes ahead with its $20bn-$28bn capital programme for 2023-29. Continued investment despite security risks signals confidence in both project economics and the UAE’s ability to safeguard critical assets.
Rich Gas Development
At the core of Adnoc Gas’ expansion strategy is the Rich Gas Development (RGD) programme, which aims to increase processing capacity by 30% by 2030.
The RGD project will enable the development of new gas reservoirs, helping to boost gas liquids exports, support UAE gas self-sufficiency and provide feedstock to the country’s growing petrochemicals sector, Adnoc Gas says.
The first phase of the RGD project is under construction. Adnoc Gas awarded $5bn-worth of engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm) contracts in three tranches for phase one last June – its largest-ever capital investment.
The contracts cover the expansion of key gas processing plants to increase throughput and improve operational efficiency across four facilities: Asab, Bu Hasa, Habshan (onshore) and the Das Island liquefaction facility (offshore).
The first tranche, valued at $2.8bn, was awarded to UK-headquartered Wood for the Habshan facility. The company said the contract value includes pass-through revenue and that it expects to recognise about $400m in EPCm revenue.
Wood’s scope includes upgrades and debottlenecking of the Habshan and Habshan 5 gas processing complexes and pipelines, including brownfield modifications and the installation of new facilities.
The remaining two tranches – $1.2bn for the Das Island liquefaction facility and $1.1bn for the Asab and Bu Hasa facilities – were awarded to UAE-based Petrofac and Dubai-based Kent, respectively.
Petrofac, separately, said it will provide EPCm services and oversee procurement and construction contracts for a new inlet facility; two gas dehydration and compression trains, each with a capacity of 420 million cf/d; and associated infrastructure at Das Island. The company will also upgrade existing facilities to increase capacity for collecting and transporting raw gas.
RGD growth phases
Adnoc Gas’ capital expenditure commitment of $20bn for the 2023-29 period is expected to rise to about $28bn as it targets final investment decisions (FIDs) on the second and third phases of the RGD programme in the first quarter of 2026.
These phases involve building a natural gas liquids (NGL) fractionation train at the Ruwais facility and a new gas processing train at Habshan. Adnoc Gas has selected main contractors for EPC works on both projects, although official contract awards are pending.
Italy’s Tecnimont has been selected for the Ruwais NGL Train 5 project, which will have a capacity of 22,000 tonnes a day, or about 8 million tonnes a year.
China-based Wison Engineering has been selected for the Habshan 7 gas processing train. The Habshan complex is one of the largest in the UAE and the wider Middle East and North Africa region, with a capacity of 6.1 billion cf/d across five trains and 14 processing units.
With Adnoc Group advancing its P5 programme to raise oil production capacity to 5 million barrels a day by 2027, higher volumes of associated gas are set to enter the grid. The new train at Habshan, scheduled for commissioning in 2029, will help process these additional volumes.
Bab Gas Cap development
As part of its upstream expansion plans, Adnoc Group is working to extract gas from four underdeveloped gas cap reservoirs at the Bab onshore field: Thammama A, B, F and H. The Thammama A, B and H reservoirs are expected to produce a combined 1.45 billion cf/d, while Thammama F is projected to produce 396 million cf/d.
Existing processing capacity at Habshan will be insufficient to handle these volumes. As a result, Adnoc Gas plans to build new facilities to process up to 1.85 billion cf/d of additional gas.
The company is planning a new gas processing plant in the Bab area, about 170 kilometres from Abu Dhabi, along with associated pipelines and supporting infrastructure, as part of the broader Bab gas cap development project.
Adnoc Gas has divided the EPC scope into four packages. It completed contractor prequalification in February and is expected to issue main EPC tenders in the second quarter.
The company’s capital expenditure commitment could exceed $30bn once it reaches FID on the Bab gas cap development, which is expected later this year.
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Israel ramps up gas exports to Egypt
7 April 2026
Israel’s gas flows to Egypt have returned to pre-war levels after restarting on 4 April, helping to ease the ongoing gas shortage in the North African country.
Around 1.1 billion cubic feet a day is being transported by pipeline from Israel’s Leviathan and Tamar gas fields, according to a Bloomberg report.
This is the same level that was being transported prior to Israel shutting down production from its offshore gas fields due to security concerns, and halting flows to Egypt on 28 February.
Despite having its own gas reserves, Egypt is a net importer of natural gas and has been impacted by the surge in global prices since the US and Israel started their war with Iran.
Last month, Egypt increased the prices of several petroleum products and natural gas for vehicles due to higher global energy prices.
On 9 March, Egypt raised the price of natural gas for vehicles by 30% to E£13 ($0.25) a cubic metre.
Egypt’s Petroleum & Mineral Resources Ministry said the increase was introduced due to “exceptional circumstances” resulting from geopolitical developments in the Middle East and their direct impact on global energy markets.
It said that the regional conflict had led to a significant increase in import and domestic production costs.
Egypt, the Middle East and North Africa region’s biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) importer, is facing uncertainty over its LNG supplies in the coming months.
Between March 2025 and February 2026, Egypt imported 9,440 kilotonnes of LNG, with the majority purchased under short-term agreements, mainly with third parties such as trading houses.
Last year, it was reported that Egypt had signed deals for around 150 cargoes through to the summer of 2026.
READ THE APRIL 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFEconomic shock threatens long-term outlook; Riyadh adjusts to fiscal and geopolitical risk; GCC contractor ranking reflects gigaprojects slowdown.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the April 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf economies under fire> GCC CONTRACTOR RANKING: Construction guard undergoes a shift> MARKET FOCUS: Risk accelerates Saudi spending shift> QATAR LNG: Qatar’s new $8bn investment heats up global LNG race> LEADERSHIP: Shaping the future of passenger rail in the Middle EastTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16280784/main.jpg -
Egypt gas sector activity surges amid regional conflict
7 April 2026
There is a surge of activity in Egypt’s gas sector as investors pour money into boosting domestic production and the country makes deals to leverage its existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) export infrastructure.
The increase in activity has come as the disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz continues to prevent the shipment of around 20% of the world’s LNG supplies to consumer nations.
While Egypt remains a net importer of natural gas, its geographical position, significant gas reserves and existing infrastructure, including two LNG export terminals, mean it can potentially capitalise on the current supply crunch.
Harmattan development
On 6 April, Arcius announced the final investment decision (FID) to develop the Harmattan gas field offshore Egypt.
Arcius is a joint venture between UK-based BP and the UAE’s Adnoc, focused on developing gas assets in Egypt and the wider Eastern Mediterranean.
The company acquired the El-Burg offshore concession area, which includes the Harmattan field, in February.
An engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning (EPIC) contract for the project has been awarded to Egypt’s Enppi, while Cairo-based Petrojet and Petroleum Marine Services (PMS) have been awarded work as subcontractors.
In a statement, Naser Al-Yafei, the chief executive of Arcius, said: “The FID to develop the Harmattan field marks an important milestone in advancing one of our first projects in Egypt toward production.”
Idku LNG
UK-based Shell also held a meeting with Egypt’s Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi recently, with talks focusing on increasing domestic natural gas production and utilising the Idku LNG export terminal.
The terminal has a nameplate capacity of 7.2 million tonnes a year, but is not currently operated at full capacity.
The Idku facility is owned by a consortium of companies, with Shell and Malaysia’s Petronas holding the biggest stakes.
Gas corridor
On 30 March, Egypt signed a natural gas cooperation agreement with Cyprus, laying the groundwork for a regional gas corridor that will allow Nicosia to transport its gas to Egypt to use its export infrastructure.
The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of a conference in Cairo, where both parties agreed to cooperate on the development and exploitation of gas resources.
The text of the agreement focused on technical and commercial aspects of the deal, establishing a basis for future negotiations.
Under the agreed terms, Cyprus’ gas will be processed in Egypt’s liquefaction facilities before being shipped to export markets.
The agreement built on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in February last year, in which Egypt agreed to buy gas from Cyprus’ Aphrodite field.
Block 6
It is also expected that Italy’s Eni, which operates Cyprus’ Block 6 concession with France’s TotalEnergies, will announce FID for the development of the Kronos field in the coming weeks.
The field has reserves of 3.1 trillion cubic feet and, under current plans, the field’s gas will be transported to Egypt via pipeline before being exported from Egypt’s Damietta LNG terminal.
Future investment
As a net importer of natural gas, Egypt faces short-term economic problems due to the current high-price environment, forcing the country to pay more for energy imports.
While this is a major setback for the country and is likely to erode its foreign currency reserves over the coming months, the current global shortage of natural gas could lead to increased investment in the country’s oil and gas sector.
This could accelerate existing project plans within the sector as well as the development of new projects.
READ THE APRIL 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFEconomic shock threatens long-term outlook; Riyadh adjusts to fiscal and geopolitical risk; GCC contractor ranking reflects gigaprojects slowdown.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the April 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf economies under fire> GCC CONTRACTOR RANKING: Construction guard undergoes a shift> MARKET FOCUS: Risk accelerates Saudi spending shift> QATAR LNG: Qatar’s new $8bn investment heats up global LNG race> LEADERSHIP: Shaping the future of passenger rail in the Middle EastTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16280782/main.jpg -
Adnoc Gas and Borouge facilities suffer Iranian attacks
6 April 2026
Debris from Iranian drones intercepted by the UAE’s air defence systems has caused damage at the Habshan gas processing facility operated by Adnoc Gas in Abu Dhabi, killing one person on site, as well as at the petrochemicals complex operated by Borouge.
In a disclosure to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) on 5 April, Adnoc Gas, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Group), said debris resulting from a successful interception by UAE air defences in the area caused damage to a limited number of facilities within the Habshan gas complex on 3 April.
The incident resulted in the death of an engineer working at the facility for Egyptian contractor Petrojet during evacuation. Four other contractors sustained minor injuries and were discharged from hospital after receiving treatment.
Specialised teams were immediately dispatched to isolate the affected area and begin a comprehensive assessment of the damage to the production line, which is ongoing, Adnoc Gas said.
“We are profoundly saddened by the loss of life and extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased. Our thoughts are also with the injured colleagues, and we wish them a full and speedy recovery. The safety, security and wellbeing of our people remains our highest priority,” Fatema Al-Nuaimi, CEO of Adnoc Gas, said in the filing.
“We remain committed to delivering shareholder value. Our balance-sheet strength and capital discipline support the resilience of the company,” she added.
Adnoc Gas further said it is meeting domestic demand in the UAE through other facilities, with no impact on customer supply. “The company continues to actively collaborate with international customers and partners where needed,” it said in its disclosure.
The Habshan gas processing facility has been attacked at least twice in March during Iran’s ongoing war with Israel and the US.
Borouge incident
Authorities in Abu Dhabi reported fire damage at Borouge’s main petrochemical facility caused by fragments from a drone interception falling on the complex on 5 April. No injuries were reported, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.
“Production activity in affected areas has been suspended following the incident whilst damage assessment and repairs are carried out,” the company said in a filing with ADX on 6 April.
The company also highlighted market conditions. “A global shortage of polyolefins is driving a strong recovery in prices in March, which has continued in April,” it said.
Borouge said it remains financially positioned to manage near-term impact. “Borouge retains significant financial resilience to navigate short-term operational disruption due to its strong cash generation and significant available liquidity.”
Borouge pointed to strong operating performance heading into the disruption. “In the first quarter of 2026, Borouge achieved high utilisation rates and was able to sell a significant proportion of its production during the month of March via alternative routes,” the statement said.
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