VOL. XXXI

NO. 39

4-JULY-1988

Financial and Banking News

REGIONAL BANKING

Saudi Bank Profits Fail to Keep up with Heavy Provisioning

The underlying profitability of Saudi banks has slipped by 13% in 1987, asthe total volume of profits and loan loss provisions declined from SR2.5bn in1986 to SR2.2bn in 1987. Despite the decline in total loan loss provisioningcharges, which fell by 9% to SRl.8bn, profits sank even faster in 1987. Thebiggest bank in the Kingdom, National Commercial Bank (NCB), has...