The beneficial effects on regional domestic economies of a higher oil price from the middle of last year onwards meant that Arab banks generally enjoyed a steady 1999.
Bahrain: Gulf International Bank, like Arab Banking Corp, is expanding in the region
However, it is in the results for this year that the full effects of the oil price rise will be reflected and the many positive First-half 2000 bank Figures already are showing the trend.
Most Arab countries will have good rates of growth in GDP this year, particularly within the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE). The GCC states provide 61 of the top 100 Arab banks. And the top 20 banks ranked on capital are largely from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain. The largest 20 represent 52% of the combined asset base but 58% of consolidated net profit. Many of the Arab banking systems remain fragmented with a large number of smaller players. Even the biggest Arab banks are small by international standards.
Arab Banking Corporation (ABC), headquartered in Bahrain, is the largest of the Arab banks.
Bottom-line results were much improved in 1999, net income tripling due to a large reduction in loan-loss provisioning compared with a difficult 1998 caused by exposure to emerging markets, particularly in Asia.