One of Kuwait’s leading banks, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) has secured first place among Kuwaiti banks in The Banker’s Top 100 Arab Banks 2026 ranking, while retaining its ninth-place position across the region. The recognition highlights the bank’s strong brand and solid financial position.
The Banker’s annual Top 100 Arab Banks ranking is based on several key criteria, including total core capital, assets, profitability, asset quality, return on capital, return on assets, and operational efficiency.
Backed by its solid financial position and strong financial performance, NBK ranked first in Kuwait in terms of total assets, which reached $147.13 billion. Return on assets stood at 1.35%, while return on capital reached approximately 13.42%.
NBK also ranked first among Kuwaiti banks in terms of Tier 1 capital, which reached $14.8 billion at the end of 2025, representing year-on-year growth of 9.9%. The Bank also led all Kuwaiti banks in asset quality and liquidity levels.
NBK’s inclusion in the ranking further reinforces its leadership across regional and global markets, underscoring the strength of its balance sheet and its superior performance relative to regional peers across key financial indicators.
The Bank’s recognition among the region’s leading banks also reflects the quality of its earnings, underpinned by solid fundamentals across all of its core business segments, as well as its distinctive geographic footprint spanning four continents and 13 countries worldwide.
Over the past year, in recognition of NBK’s efforts to support both customers and employees, the Bank was among a select group of banks worldwide to receive several prestigious awards for innovation in digital banking services. NBK also continued to record high levels of customer satisfaction.
The Bank continues to maintain one of the highest credit ratings among major banks in the Middle East, as affirmed by the three leading global rating agencies, Moody’s, Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings. This is supported by NBK’s strong capitalization, prudent lending policies and disciplined approach to risk management, as well as the extensive experience and stability of its management and executive teams.
In 2025, NBK reported net profit of KD 575.6 million ($1.9 billion), while net operating income grew by 3.6% to reach KD 1.3 billion ($4.2 billion) in 2025.
The Banker, one of the world’s most prestigious financial publications and part of the Financial Times, was founded in 1926. Its annual surveys span around 120 countries, recognizing leading and distinguished institutions across the global banking community.
